Ever After and then Some
by touchreceptors
Summary: Post-R2. So, say Suzaku manages to save Lelouch after the Requiem. Lelouch retires to the countryside with C.C., and they all get a sort of happily ever after. THEN say Lelouch gets... pregnant? MPreg, fluff and mild crack. SUZALULU, and other characters. (Now with a little more smut.)
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ Obviously, I don't own Code Geass or its characters - except maybe the doctors here, whom I of course created for the plot's convenience xD_

_This is simply a fan-made work which attempts a silly, sweet, happy-family take on the ending, __written entirely for the purpose of my own amusement__ (and hopefully yours as well).  
There's no real heavy plot here, and it's mostly going to be silly fluff and fun aside for the first half of this first chapter which is a little more serious and contains most of the transitional information you may want. ...So if you're looking for meaty stuff, I suggest you look elsewhere._

_That said, I make no apologies if the levels of ridiculousity in this fic (which is, after all, a MPreg fic) happen to break your brain. But I'll __try__ to make it as believable as possible - as far as Geass goes, anyway ;D - __and tie it in with the canon end as much as possible too. (Well... canonically I still believe Lelouch is better off dead, but this is a fanfic and we'll give them a nice fairytale-esque ending, yes? Yes. Okay.)_

_Rated T for now; may move it up to M for later chapters to be safe, though my planned content is mostly quite tame. _

_Enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 1

The first thing Lelouch remembered upon waking was the sound of Nunnally screaming. Slowly, his eyesight shifted to focus on his surroundings and he became aware of a steady, dully burning throb in his abdomen. There was a wall next to him, and dim lighting in the room... This wasn't heaven. Nor was it hell. Probably an apartment of sorts.

The Requiem. Had their plan failed?

And then he realized his hand was being kept warm in those of another. There was someone gently shifting the hair away from his eyes, green irises as he focused on the face...

"Where am I, Suzaku? What happened?" His voice felt like it hadn't been used in _days_. He became aware of C.C. sitting quietly in the corner as well, watching them intently with a somber expression.

Suzaku gave him a small smile. "You're safe. Don't worry, Zero Requiem still went exactly as planned. The world knows you to be dead. But you should rest right now... It probably isn't the best time for me to -"

There was a quickening of his heartbeat, a painful throb where his wound - the wound meant to kill him - was. Lelouch spoke quietly.

"I want to know why and how I'm here."

"That's not something you need to -"

"Answer me."

His best friend's smile had disappeared. Suzaku swallowed and took a deep breath. "We... saved you. At that last moment, I... angled my blade... so that it'd cause as little damage as possible, and the LeBlancs... you know, the two doctors who knew of your plan - they helped save your life."

And so Suzaku recounted - how they had brought him in, after he'd lost consciousness and supposedly passed on, to a room only he and Nunnally could access, at Nunnally's request - so she could bid him goodbye in private. (After all, dictator or not, he was still her brother.)

There, at both Suzaku's and Nunnally's pleading, the doctors - who, Lelouch remembered, had been among the few royal subjects during his short reign who'd known the truth behind the Zero Requiem - had willingly done what they could to keep his life hanging in the balance. They'd then rushed him somewhere safer to complete the surgery. In the meantime, the coffin had been prepared and Nunnally had arranged for a quiet, simple burial next to Suzaku's own grave - nothing grand to glorify or honor the Emperor-dictator, but enough to ensure that sufficient respect was still paid to her late kin, and enough to assure the rest of the world that his dreaded reign had finally come to an end.

"...It's been almost six days since the Requiem. Right now... you're in a small private apartment I managed to rent. The doctors have been making visits to check on you and C.C.'s been watching over you. No one else knows you're here." Suzaku was still speaking, explaining things slowly, carefully.

"They say you should be well enough to move comfortably within the next few days or so, so when that happens, the two of you can move off somewhere safer still... the countryside, probably. There's a cottage, a little less than half an hour's ride from Jeremiah's orange farm. And the doctors are actually retiring and moving nearby, too. They'll be closer to the town, but also just half an hour away, if anything happens." Suzaku smiled a little again then, squeezing his hand gently.

"A couple of months' rest now and you'll be _completely_ fine. Nunnally and I will come to visit, when we can... when it's safer. Things are already starting to settle, in fact. Peace talks are moving, Nunnally's been named the Empress... Ougi's been elected as the new Prime Minister of the United States of Japan, for another, and there's much more that I can tell you later, but Lelouch - everything is moving - _recreating_, just like you said it would. And now you'll... you'll be here to see it."

The weak, hopeful smile was still on his face when he finished.

Lelouch wasn't too thrilled about all of this, however. He forced himself halfway up on one elbow, voice trembling as the full magnitude of everything began to hit him.

"Suzaku... _what have you __done_?"

Suzaku looked as if he'd just been struck, though he didn't recoil. The blow had probably been expected. "I..." He swallowed again, face going rigid.

"I couldn't do it." He said hoarsely. "I know this goes against what we promised each other, and I know... I know neither of us deserves this. And I thought I could... I _trusted_ that I could - I was so sure, but I..." And then his voice cracked, as did the mask he'd put up. "In the end I..."

"Gods _damn it!_ _I__ trusted you!_" Lelouch was shaking, furious. He sat up fully, ignoring even the terrible pain which seared through his side as he did so. "Do you realize how much of a risk we're _taking_?"

"I do." Came a small voice from the doorway. And Lelouch stopped, stilled, and went silent as Nunnally wheeled herself in.

"But when Suzaku stepped down from that podium and held my hand - when I learnt that he was going to do everything he could to save you... I didn't say no."

Slowly, she reached and took Lelouch's hand in her own, eyes beginning to brim with tears. "A kinder, gentler world... Brother, all I ever truly needed was you. It is _nothing_ without you.

"Without you, it would be nothing but loneliness."

Lelouch covered her hands tenderly in his. "Nunnally..."

"We love you, Lelouch." Suzaku whispered, the tears already rolling in silent streaks down his face.

Yes, they did... He knew they did. C.C., Nunnally, and Suzaku...

"I know, Suzaku, I know. I..."

"Then will you not try to accept that you're still here, because we do?" Nunnally asked softly.

And the anger, Lelouch realized, had lifted and fled.

"...Of course I will." He whispered hoarsely, squeezing her hands in assurance and feeling his heart warm as she smiled at him through her tears.

And then she was letting go, slowly, so he could reach out to gather Suzaku into his arms as the latter, broken, finally buried his face into his chest, shaking with quiet sobs. He smoothed Suzaku's hair and held him, soothing him even as his first tear made its way silently down his cheek.

"Of course I will."

And when Lelouch turned to look at C.C., the witch's own eyes were glistening, a true smile unmistakably on her face at long, long last.

* * *

In actual fact, Suzaku didn't say he was sorry - though it was not something which needed to be said. Lelouch called him softly to his bedside early the next morning, when Suzaku came in to check on him before he left.

"My King." Mask off but already in full Zero regalia, Suzaku arrived by his side, his formal acknowledgement soft as well in the quiet of the morning.

"You were right in saying neither of us deserves this." Lelouch murmured. "But if I am to accept this situation - if I am to live... then I want you to promise me something."

Sensing the gravity of the moment Suzaku knelt silently before him so that their faces were level, clasping one of Lelouch's hands and waiting.

"Can you forgive yourself?"

- and for a moment, Suzaku felt his heart skip a beat, but then Lelouch continued speaking, slowly, quietly.

"Forgive the Kururugi Suzaku you once were, the Kururugi Suzaku who is dead, and no more... Let go of the deeds he's done. Can you do that?"

There was a pause, and Suzaku was certain Lelouch felt the tremble in both his hands which were wrapped around his own, but violet eyes remained fixed on his.

"I'm not asking you to forget." Lelouch said softly. "You can't. You won't, and you will continue to live out your punishment as Zero, bearing the hope of the world on your shoulders, while I take mine in the form of exile - but we will keep moving forward... now that things have come to this. Now that we're here.

"There's no point to all that you and Nunnally have done for me unless we're all able to _truly_ live, alongside one another. And that includes you." Lelouch paused, a thumb moving to run comfortingly along the back of one of Suzaku's gloved hands. "Do you understand?"

Silence. The Geass in Lelouch's eyes glittered in the dim light - no longer something which could command his obedience, but a reminder, an echo, along with his words - of his original command to him, one that Suzaku had fully accepted when the Emperor had fallen on Zero's blade.

It wasn't a command this time. A request - one which had been carefully considered, but which was no less heavy.

When Suzaku finally managed to rasp words beyond his constricting throat there were tears burning in his eyes. "My lord -"

Lelouch extended his other hand, drawing him closer and stroking through his hair, calming him just as he had the day before. "Hush."

"_Lelouch._" Suzaku whispered into his shoulder after a shuddering breath - and there, Lelouch knew, was his friend's promise.

It wasn't going to be easy, but Suzaku was certainly going to try.

Slowly, Lelouch lifted his hand to caress the side of his face and bring him in for a soft kiss, and with a small sound Suzaku covered his hand with his own, gripped it tight, and reciprocated. It was long, and heartfelt, and words were not needed anymore.

* * *

Much to Suzaku's and Nunnally's relief and delight, Lelouch recovered rapidly. Within the week, the doctors were happy to pronounce him fit enough to travel, and so he and C.C. set off for the countryside.

True to his plans for his life during exile, Jeremiah Gottwald had indeed begun an orange farm not too far off from the cottage which had been set aside for Lelouch and C.C.. Suzaku was glad to discover that Anya and Sayoko had joined him there to help out with the work, and Sayoko, true to her shinobi heritage, had not needed to be told about Lelouch's survival and had already sent word to say that she would be happy to come down to assist them should they ever be in need of any help.

The doctors, too, as Suzaku remembered telling Lelouch, moved off to their own cottage nearer to the town.

Surgeon Marc LeBlanc, and his wife, Julianna (who, as an obstetrician by profession had helped deliver a few of the younger royals) had willingly served the Britannian Imperial line for over a decade, up until Lelouch's orchestrated death. Like Jeremiah, they'd been delighted to find Queen Marianne's firstborn still alive, and had pledged allegiance when Lelouch had revealed his plan and its motives. At Lelouch's order, however, they'd followed Sayoko, Cecile, Lloyd and other subjects who'd known the truth in joining the opposing forces toward the end - in order to be freed instead of persecuted once the Requiem ended.

They'd least expected, of course, to be asked to go against what was arranged and rescue their emperor in secret, but in an act of compassion and understanding, had done so and brought forward their retirement to the countryside, in order to be near in case of further trouble with the wound.

To all this, and everyone, Lelouch and Suzaku could only express extreme gratitude, and Nunnally, as Empress of Britannia, managed to request the area for her personal use and secure privacy and a good supply of everything for the entire place on that basis.

She had, meanwhile, chosen to stay in Japan, in order to work with Ougi and everyone else to see the country she'd grown up in - and the rest of the world - being healed and rebuilt - and of course, to be closer to where her brother was. As Lelouch had intended in his grand scheme of things, Britannia had since returned freedom to its colonies and shifted to a system based on democracy - in turn enabling Nunnally to act as its ambassador and figurehead from Tokyo, where she both represented Britannia and was still able to assist its new Prime Minister in overseeing the running of things in the motherland. She had already made a couple of visits back, and the restoration of the Pendragon capital which had been wiped out during the Damocles' attack was soon well under way. Ashford Academy was fully rebuilt too, back in Tokyo, with Lelouch and Nunnally making plans with Jeremiah to restore the memories of their former student council mates and light up surprise fireworks for the grand reopening - so that Lelouch's promise of having everyone together to watch the fireworks again someday was still somewhat kept.

Peace talks abounded. Minor problems still existed, but across the globe countries were already striving to work together, and conference after conference was held with focus upon combining resources, rebuilding, lending assistance, aiding those who were poor and who'd lost their loved ones and homes during the war. The Black Knights, under Zero once more, also provided their support wherever they could. Japan looked set to become a frequent conference center for the new world and its leadership, and all this of course kept both Suzaku and Nunnally highly occupied during the first few months, even with Schneizel dutifully assisting them and Cornelia's support.

Lelouch and C.C. coped fine when on their own, though. C.C. had little trouble getting a horse or a cart ride from a nearby farm (Japan still remained largely westernized from its Area 11 days), and she would wander or ride to town for her pizza and some groceries every now and then. And Lelouch, naturally, still handled all the cooking and the household work, unless Sayoko dropped by to visit and lend a hand.

They even began cultivating a little patch in the back garden for assorted vegetables, and in the front - sunflowers, as memories of the happier times during their childhood. Life was vastly different and pleasantly quiet as compared to the past two years of plotting, fighting, betrayal and turmoil (as pleasant as having C.C. around would allow for, anyway), and Lelouch soon grew used to afternoons spent gardening, and nights spent lying in the grass and gazing at the stars.

C.C. smiled a lot more now, too - even amidst her constant snarking and playful bickering with him which, unfortunately, had not changed - but every time she did, Lelouch found himself smiling as well. And now, months after what would have been the end, in what he would never have imagined after all he'd done - where the world was, where _he_ was, where they all were...

Lelouch had accepted that life and love, perhaps, had somehow given them all a second chance.

And life was beautiful.

Suzaku and Nunnally visited as often as they could, bringing more pizza and groceries with them. Once a month, sometimes twice - using simple wigs and sunglasses which worked fine when disguising themselves during travel. (After all, they couldn't exactly go driving unnoticed into the countryside as Zero and the Empress Ambassador of the Holy Britannian Empire.) And at times, as the months went by, Suzaku was even able to drop by on random days or a few consecutive weekends due to his fluctuating schedule and duties as Zero. Empress Nunnally kept the persona and whereabouts of her silent, mysterious and loyal bodyguard quiet from everyone, and he was often away on "personal matters", especially more so when world relations were settling nicely and he was less needed.

For Suzaku, the weight of the mask and the weight of the cape on his shoulders were still constant reminders of how close they'd come to losing it all, of how much they'd actually deserved, and of his new promise to Lelouch. The past, he knew, would always be remembered as a dull ache in all their hearts. But they were here... here now - _all_ of them were, and the warmth in his chest which came from that knowledge, from the joy in everyone's smiles - was undeniable.

And Suzaku had, in fact, begun to smile again himself, from the time they'd first stepped into the cottage and from the moment Nunnally's face had lit with loving joy upon seeing her brother. Lelouch had welcomed them both with serene, radiant eyes and in that moment, Suzaku had known for certain that he'd made the right choice to fight for Lelouch's life - no matter now big the risk had been and perhaps still was.

They were here, and they were _alive_.

Yes, even _Arthur_. That dear rascal of a cat had still managed to find him eventually, somehow, wandering into his quarters in the capital one night - and Lelouch had only been too happy to take him in (and treat all of Suzaku's cat bites) when Suzaku brought him with him on his second visit.

And then there was Kallen.

The girl had chosen to remain as the ace of the Black Knights and as Zero's personal guard. As Suzaku often reported, she seemed to be healing nicely enough and was now getting along well with Gino. She'd revealed to Suzaku early on, too, that she knew who he, as the new Zero, really was, and that she'd finally understood what he and Lelouch had been setting out to do.

Lelouch had always known she'd figure out these things - and perhaps she had, from the very moment Suzaku had appeared as Zero, to kill him in front of the world. It was good to know she was doing well.

"But she misses you, clearly." Suzaku told him, on one visit. "She speaks about you sometimes, when we're alone in my office. And I think... she's beginning to suspect something."

Lelouch smiled. He'd expected that, too. Kallen had always been smart. And strong - a quality he'd always admired in her - strong enough to move on whether she knew he was still alive or not. But then...

"She deserves to know." He said softly. "But... wait till she asks.

"She'll be ready, then."

* * *

And so time passed, every day a new reason to be grateful, a new opportunity for laughter, a new step forward from what had been into what was now.

Before the Zero Requiem, sex with each other had always been with a gentle, somber finality. Sometimes Suzaku would've wept, and Lelouch would've held and comforted him with soothing murmurs in the dark.

Suzaku still wept, every now and then. Though now, it was no longer from despair.

"Are you happy?" Lelouch murmured to him one night, gazing up at him as he ran a thumb over his cheek to wipe away a tear.

Suzaku kissed his cheek softly in return. "Yes." He whispered, then paused, as if thinking, remembering. "There are - of course, things... I still wish could be taken back... and undone."

Euphy, Lelouch knew. Euphy, and Suzaku's father, and Japan, and the way they'd treated each other, their names, their birthrights, and so many other things they'd been through, which they'd done or not done, which they'd thought and hoped would turn out one way but had only blossomed or careened into another.

Suzaku fingered the scar on the bare skin of his side slowly, silently. "But what I have now is far more than what I could ever hope for, or deserve. And for that... I'm always grateful." He looked up and kissed him again, gently on his lips, his smile small and warm. "Are _you_ happy?"

"If I said no..." Lelouch smiled against his neck as he nuzzled his ear. "I'd be lying again."

* * *

A year went quickly by. It was still early to be calling it a happily ever after of sorts - but then the kind of trouble they all sometimes anticipated at the back of their minds never actually arrived.

No, it chose to drop on their laps in a very, very different form instead.

The first sign of this "trouble" was when Suzaku stepped in one evening and noticed how Lelouch looked a little paler than usual.

"I'm a little tired." Lelouch waved it off with one hand and turned to walk back into the house.

"He's been throwing up for the past two days." C.C. informed him helpfully as she adjusted Cheese-kun on her lap and flipped another page of what seemed to be a raunchy thriller novel, looking completely bored with what she was reading.

"A minor problem with my appetite. It's probably something I ate."

"I told you to let me get us pizza instead, didn't I?" C.C. grinned, looking up from her book.

"Oh?" Suzaku responded jokingly. "Lelouch vi Britannia, the world's finest chef? Mess up on his perfect cooking?"

Lelouch snorted. "Well, I don't see C.C. having the same problem."

Suzaku hesitated. Lelouch _did_ seem more or less fine - though his eyes, too, were lacking in their usual sharp luster.

"Okay... Perhaps we should call up LeBlanc, just in case..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Suzaku."

C.C. rolled over on the couch and propped her chin up on her hands. "Oh? But you've been feeling dizzy too, haven't you?"

"It's called _low blood pressure_." Lelouch retorted.

C.C. gave a short laugh, clearly enjoying the way Suzaku's brow was furrowing further and the way Lelouch was getting more and more irritable. "In fact, if you look at things it almost seems like you're _pregnant_, Lelouch. It's too bad you're a man."

There was a moment of silence as Suzaku blinked and Lelouch turned to look at her, expression unreadable.

"..._Witch._" Was his only grumbled, eventual response toward the highly amused pair of amber eyes.

"Are you _sure_ you're all right?" Suzaku asked, setting down his coat and the pizza he'd brought. "I know it's been almost a year, but..."

Lelouch sighed. "I'm fine. Just under the weather, most likely."

"Apparently since Wednesday afternoon." C.C. added dryly, though from the way the small smirk of mischief had disappeared from her face and the fact that she wasn't already in the midst of devouring the pizza, Suzaku realized that she was actually a little concerned as well.

He suddenly found himself wishing Nunnally hadn't been too busy to come over that weekend - if there was one person who could persuade Lelouch to see the doctor just in case something severe had gone wrong, it was still Nunnally. (Or perhaps Sayoko, with her full arsenal of Shinozaki heirloom weapons - but maybe that was taking things a little too far.)

"Well, here's what we're going to do then." Suzaku decided. "No pizza for you - and I'll make dinner tonight. You rest. And if you're still having problems tomorrow I'm giving the LeBlancs a call. Alright?"

"Just when did you get so commanding?" Lelouch was grinning. "Clearly it's been too long since you last knelt at my feet, Sir Kururugi."

Suzaku grinned back and pulled him toward him to give him a quick kiss. "Long enough, Your Majesty."

"-Regardless, you do realize that as your knight he'd still have a say when it comes to exercising an overabundance of caution over your safety, don't you?" C.C. pointed out, smirking. "Of course, that boldness _could_ also be influenced by how much control you've been allowing him to take in bed..."

"One more such word from you, witch, and I _promise_ you you won't be getting anymore pizza for a month. And _you_..." Lelouch turned back to Suzaku. "If I throw up after dinner, it most certainly won't be my own fault."

* * *

Lelouch didn't throw up after dinner, contrary to what he'd initially expected. Suzaku woke to the sound, however, of his chicken broth and noodles (or what had become of it, anyway) being retched into the toilet early the morning after.

He opened the bathroom door in time to see Lelouch pulling the flush, getting slowly to his feet and proceeding to rinse his mouth.

"You all right?"

"More or less." Lelouch sighed, drying his hands off on the towel. "What I just don't understand is..."

He'd been stepping out of the bathroom when he suddenly stopped, swaying, and Suzaku caught hold of him before he could fall, heart beginning to race in panic.

"Oi, Lelouch - hey. _Hey!_"

Half-lidded violet eyes looked at him blearily.

"Oh no. No no don't you _dare_ -"

His eyes slid shut and Lelouch went limp in his arms.

"_Shit._ ...C.C.!"

* * *

Marc LeBlanc was a pleasant-looking man in his mid-forties, with a dark brown beard and moustache, and warm brown eyes. The doctor's brow was furrowed in puzzlement, however, as he completed his quick examination of the former emperor. Lelouch hadn't yet regained consciousness and was still fully out, his breathing smooth and even as he now lay sound asleep.

"There doesn't seem to be a problem with the old wound." He informed Suzaku and C.C. as he kept his equipment away. "Or a problem with anything whatsoever, actually, not even food poisoning. Other than his blood pressure, of course - which _is_ low, as you've said - but then the measurement isn't too alarming or too much further from his usual levels. So if he hasn't been in pain or discomfort..."

"None that we know of." Suzaku frowned. "Because he seemed just fine yesterday... just a little tired, that's all."

"Well then, I doubt it's much cause for worry. I could take a blood sample to be sure, and I'll give you a call once we're done analyzing it. If we find nothing, and in the rare event that these... symptoms somehow persist or worsen, we'll bring down some of the more complicated equipment to do a comprehensive scan. But otherwise, he should be fine soon enough, because it doesn't appear to be anything very severe... perhaps a sudden shift in tolerance for certain foods, at the most.

"As for that blood pressure level, I'm sure you know what to do, don't you?" LeBlanc gave him a knowing smile. "Tell him to get enough rest, and more iron in his diet."

The smile Suzaku gave in return was one of relief. "Right. And that's great... Thanks."

Over in the corner where she was seated, C.C. pulled Cheese-kun closer to herself. "Well, I suppose all that fuss was for nothing, then."

"Thankfully." Suzaku managed another small smile. Lelouch had been right, then - it wasn't really anything serious after all.

And yet... Well perhaps he was being paranoid, but there was now a creeping, uncomfortable feeling - a premonition, as he would later realize - that it was going to turn out to be something entirely different.

What it was, though, he hadn't the faintest idea.

He started to worry when LeBlanc called soon after, saying that they'd found something peculiar after running a few tests, and that his wife would like to go down to take a look.

He started to get confused when he saw that Julianna LeBlanc had brought an entire case of her obstetrician equipment with her.

And by the time Julianna had explained that "I'm here because we've actually found an unusual amount of female hormones in His Majesty's blood", Suzaku was very, very confused, somewhat amused, and at a complete loss as to how to react or what to think.

"Well, he does possess quite a few... _feminine_ traits," C.C. mused, smirking.

Julianna smiled briefly, shaking her head as she adjusted her neat bun of dark blonde hair. "That's not quite all. The levels of progesterone and oestrogen present are levels usually seen in women during... pregnancy. There also appears to be... human chorionic gonadotropin, which is usually generated by embryos, and is what we use to _test_ for pregnancy."

"Oh, my." C.C. curled up on her chair, looking more and more tickled by the moment.

"Wait, wait." Suzaku interrupted, one hand already going to the side of his head in distress. "Are you _actually_ trying to say that -"

Julianna's eyes grew serious and thoughtful. "My knowledge on the research the empire was conducting into Geass is limited, but I've heard that aspects of those who hold the Code may sometimes be passed on to those who receive the power of Geass from them... memories, most commonly... and sometimes certain other abilities. And as preposterous as this is going to sound, Marc and I have both seen our share of queer events having to do with Geass in the Britannian Royal family, so yes, what I am _indeed_ suspecting here is... that is, especially if His Majesty and you, Sir Kururugi, have been..."

She didn't finish the sentence.

C.C. had grown quiet, clutching Cheese-kun close to her chest.

Suzaku had never felt more confused in his entire life. "But... _how_ is that even...?"

"It _could_ be possible." C.C. murmured, chewing slightly on her lower lip. "I've never seen anything like that happen in all these centuries, but if that ability of mine as a woman _was_ indeed granted to Lelouch as well when I granted him the Geass, and dormant within him..."

"Well, it would certainly explain everything you described. The frequent vomiting, the tiredness, and the dizzy spells - especially since there's likely been a significant shift in his hormone levels. On top of being the usual symptoms of pregnancy, these could be a result of his body adapting to the changes, to keep from rejecting the fetus."

"Hang on..." Suzaku sat forward. "So if this... _ability_ was actually passed on to Lelouch through C.C., then what are the chances that it's actually C.C.'s... uhm..."

C.C. shook her head. "I don't think _that_ is possible. Abilities which are inherited become the receiver's own. Geass, for one, manifests differently in each user when granted. Memories are perhaps the only copied transference from a person who holds the Code to a receiver of the Geass. And the rest..."

"So if a womb has indeed developed within him, it'd be acting as a female form of his own reproductive system. Which... _would_ make it his and your child." Julianna explained to him calmly. "And of course, this is assuming the nature of your relationship is such that His Majesty has been... on the receiving end...?" She raised an eyebrow subtly in question.

"Well he isn't _always_ the - I mean, he does still... sometimes - but he can't really... so I - we, ah... yes. Yes." Suzaku settled on the answer with a deep blush.

Julianna pressed her lips together in an even line and nodded, not seeming too surprised. "A likelihood exists, then. Then again, all of it is just a theory I have. I can probably explain things in further detail later, but for now, we'll need to confirm if these suspicions are valid in the first place."

Suzaku could feel his mouth going dry. "Do we... have a way of knowing for sure?"

Julianna gave him a small, reassuring smile as she opened her case. "There's a reason I drove up here, after all." She took out a silver hand-held device and switched it on. "This has been used in our practice for slightly over three years now. It's capable of telling in a single, harmless scan if there is new life present in a patient's body, and if all is generally going well. So if I may...?" The doctor asked, looking to Suzaku for approval.

Suzaku swallowed and nodded.

Lelouch himself was still blissfully asleep and unaware of all that was going on, oblivious to the scanner as the obstetrician positioned it in the air slightly above his belly, and moved it slowly over his torso.

C.C. leaned forward in curiosity, and Suzaku grew more and more apprehensive by the second, clutching the edge of his own seat next to the mattress.

Three seconds after the scan... four... five -

And the light at the corner of the device blinked an unmistakable green.

The doctor herself seemed a little disbelieving and utterly fascinated as she stared down at the scanner, at the sleeping Lelouch, and then back again to what the scanner had confirmed.

"Well, it seems I was right. His Majesty is indeed... perfectly and undeniably... _pregnant._"

* * *

_Hee hee! And that wraps chapter 1. Reviews, anybody?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You're awake," Suzaku smiled.

Lelouch groaned softly in response, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose. "How long have I been out?"

"About four hours." Suzaku got up to pour him a glass of water as he slowly sat up. "How're you feeling?" He asked gently.

"Better." Lelouch took the warm cup from him, smiling at the affection in his green eyes. "Still somewhat nauseous, I think, but better."

"There's some freshly made chicken stew if you're hungry... though even if you aren't, you should eat something, to make up for all that you've puked out."

At Suzaku's words Lelouch smirked knowingly over the edge of his cup. "LeBlanc was here, wasn't he?"

"Well... both LeBlancs, actually."

Both his eyebrows arched upward as he set the water back down on the side table. "It can't have been that serious."

Suzaku shifted in his seat beside the bed. He'd had the couple of hours spent watching over Lelouch and waiting for him to wake to wrap his mind properly around the full situation and its impending consequences, but there was still a heavy uncertainty about it all, especially since he wasn't sure of exactly how Lelouch was going to take the news. "Uh, well..."

"Oh good, you're awake." C.C. waltzed in, Cheese-kun in her arms. "About time, too. _Suzaku_ dearest has something to tell you." She settled herself once again into the chair on the opposite side of the bed, where she'd been earlier, a triumphant smirk now on her face.

Lelouch raised a questioning eyebrow in his direction, and Suzaku could tell from the familiar glint in C.C.'s eyes that she wasn't going to miss this for the world. So he took a deep breath, grasped one of Lelouch's hands, looked him in the eye, and said,

"Promise me... promise me you won't freak out."

Lelouch blinked. "What could possibly -"

"Just... promise me you'll try not to, okay?"

"Very well." Lelouch looked at him skeptically. Suzaku was visibly uneasy. "Now what is it?"

Another deep breath as Suzaku tried to keep his voice as steady as possible. "You're not actually sick, Lelouch... You're... _really_ pregnant."

There was an incredulous scoff. "What is this? Some kind of..." Then it dawned on Lelouch that if it really _was_ a silly prank, Suzaku would already be laughing.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Suzaku gave a strained smile. "I'm afraid not. Julianna ran a scan on you, Lelouch - it's positive."

"But that's..." Lelouch frowned, deep in thought as to just how on earth and the World of C - "_C.C.!_"

"Hey, don't look at me." C.C. replied, though the corners of her mouth had quirked up once again when she saw how fast he'd come to his conclusion. "Few men I've granted Geass to actually do go around having sex with other males."

"And Julianna suggests..." Suzaku flushed a little despite himself. "It could be -"

"- the constant presence of sexual intercourse with Suzaku in such a manner, as well as his _reproductive cells_ in your system, which then triggered your body's inherited ability to react the way a female body would - an ability which would otherwise have remained dormant until your death." C.C. quoted, summarizing the doctor's explanation airily. "Basically, thanks to me, and obviously Suzaku, you've now got yourself a perfect little functional womb of your own."

"And so it... _is_ an actual child you're carrying." Suzaku finished haltingly.

"In any case," C.C. stretched out in her chair with a gleeful smile, clearly delighting at how all of this was playing out. "It's rather rare that such aspects get passed on with the Geass in the first place. In fact I've not known or heard of this particular ability being granted ever before, so consider yourself very lucky."

Slowly, very slowly, Lelouch covered his face with one hand. "This," he muttered, "is a dream. This is a bad dream. A mere conjuration of my fevered mind. I am going to wake up, and this is all going to have been a dream. Just a dream, and nothing more."

Arthur, who had wandered into the room, leapt gracefully onto the covers and meowed.

When Lelouch opened his eyes to find Suzaku, C.C., and the cat still staring at him, he took a deep, steadying breath, then buried his face in his hand again.

"I don't believe this."

Suzaku swallowed, then took his other hand into his own, grasping it tightly. "Look, Lelouch... I'm sorry. I mean, I know no one could've expected this, of all things, but I... This is still my fault, in a way. But I'm going to be with you throughout this regardless, okay? And no matter what decision you make - even if you want to get rid of it, I -"

"_Idiot._"

Suzaku stopped his guilty speech with a half-questioning, half-afraid look, suddenly appearing much like a little puppy who didn't quite understand if he was being punished, going to be punished, or not going to be punished at all.

"You really are an idiot." Lelouch sighed, a wry smile forming on his lips. "Why would I want to _get rid_ of it? That is..." He paused and swallowed. "This is obviously going to take some getting used to... though I suppose we could always do with some new company around here. And we're not in any way ill-equipped." He interlaced their fingers, violet eyes soft. "Besides, if it's indeed true, then... it's our child, isn't it? So as strange as this whole thing is... unless there are severe complications which will arise, _of course_ we're going to have it."

Suzaku's face brightened and broke into a look of relief - and probably delight as well. "Lelouch..."

"And don't worry," Lelouch grinned. "You can be assured I'll think of a way to torture you for this later."

Suzaku's smile disappeared.

C.C. chuckled. "Poor Suzaku. He's already been sitting there fretting and worrying himself sick over you the whole time, you know. Other than making stew, of course."

Lelouch smiled, softening. "I _am_ still trying to come to terms with the situation myself." He placed a slow, uncertain hand on his abdomen. "Given what you've said about Geass and abilities, this isn't entirely... _inconceivable_, but there are quite a few more questions I now have for Julianna."

Suzaku nodded. "Everything seems fine so far, but the doctors will be over tomorrow to give you a more thorough check-up - while you're awake, of course. I think we'll all have many more questions anyway." He gave Lelouch's hand a gentle squeeze. "For now though, your orders are to eat enough and rest well."

"Yes, yes. Of course. And you're still going back to Nunnally, once the weekend is over. I'm not having you fuss over me like this for the entire week."

Suzaku grinned. "As you wish, Your Majesty, as long as you agree to have Sayoko come down to - " Then he realized - "Nunnally. What are we going to..."

"She'll be delighted." said C.C.

"She will indeed." Lelouch's smile was small and knowing. "But not a word just yet, Suzaku. At least not till her next visit and... not till we're sure about everything. I don't want her to worry."

"Right."

Arthur meowed again, as if to remind them all that he was being ignored, and Lelouch paused to scratch him briefly under his chin. "He's probably hungry." Lelouch shifted the covers and Arthur jumped back to the floor. "In fact, _I'm_ hungry, so let's all hope that stew of yours doesn't end up like last night's dinner."

He got up, took one step, and promptly staggered again. Luckily Suzaku had been on the alert, and leapt to his feet to support him, laughing.

"Are you _sure_ you want me to return to the capital with you in this state?"

Lelouch scowled. "Just get me to the damned stew."

* * *

The rest of the day was fortunate. The dizzy spells faded, and much to his own relief, Lelouch managed to eat without more ordeals in the toilet ensuing.

Other than trying to slowly and properly accept that he was actually pregnant, though, Lelouch soon found (especially after more thought as to just how it was even possible) that there was something else he was a little worried about.

...Okay, so perhaps he was more than _just_ a little worried.

There was nothing when he checked himself over in the shower, thankfully - no effects, no physical... _alterations_, - so far, anyway. And logically speaking, he _did_ doubt this was going to affect...

Then again they'd all certainly realized how anything was indeed possible with Geass, and so the possibility couldn't be ruled out entirely just yet.

Which was obviously more than just a little worrying.

But Lelouch decided to mention none of this to Suzaku or C.C., and forced himself not to panic, because panicking right then would not be an elegant thing to do and would make him look silly.

Yes, he'd simply have to ask the doctors calmly about it once they came over.

And luckily, morning arrived fast enough. There was a fair bit of equipment that the doctors had brought with them this time, though in a little over an hour, they'd managed to set everything up, run an advanced, detailed scan of Lelouch's internal organs - which was also projected on the screen for everyone - and determine the following:

- That there was definitely a uterus which had developed in his abdominal cavity (since it had not been there before when they'd first operated on him to save his life).

- That it was connected to his rectum by a small channel which, Julianna surmised after some moments of study, must have opened during intercourse and was how he'd been impregnated in the first place.

- That the uterus was functioning normally for a pregnancy.

- That the baby would also be able to grow normally within him, since the womb had developed in the appropriate location.

- And, with the help of both the information on the last few times Suzaku had slept with him (divulged, of course, with much embarrassment) and the imaging on the screen, they'd also managed to confirm that Lelouch was exactly eight weeks pregnant with a fine and healthy little fetus.

It was a small, magical moment then - seeing the tiny form of life on the screen in front of them, with its oh-so-tiny but steady heartbeat - and in that moment both Lelouch and Suzaku felt any lingering doubts they'd had about seeing the pregnancy through (faint as they had been) immediately dissolve.

"In another four weeks we should be able to tell if it's a boy or girl," said Julianna. Suzaku grasped Lelouch's hand, smiling, and Lelouch smiled back; the boys exchanged indulgent looks and C.C. rolled her eyes while the doctors themselves exchanged understanding smiles.

Once they'd completed the scan everyone settled into more comfortable positions at the dining table to discuss the other important matters.

"Well, I think we're definitely going through with this," Lelouch caught Suzaku's eye as the latter was pouring tea for the doctors, and smiled. The child was fine so far, and most pregnancies, from what he knew, held better chance once they were past the third month - which wasn't far away. Now that they knew there was no likelihood of any major complications despite the circumstances...

The doctors smiled warmly, and Julianna nodded. "We'll be happy to assist you in any way, as always."

Lelouch folded his hands and rested them on the table. "I'm assuming, if all goes well, that we'll have to deliver it by a Cesarean."

"It'll have to be so." She affirmed. "After all the male body was never built for this, and even the connecting channel which has developed appears to be too small to act as a way out... though it certainly seems to have functioned well enough as a way _in_." She grinned pointedly toward the end of her statement and the young men flushed.

"There won't be problems because of his previous injury, will there?" asked Suzaku.

"None," Marc reassured. "He's healed quite well, compared to how complicated things would've been twenty years ago."

"You may want to be prepared for some other minor problems during the pregnancy, though." Julianna continued. "Like I mentioned, his body wasn't originally built for this, and there's only a certain extent to which it can adapt itself. Bone structure, mainly..." She looked at Lelouch. "Backaches may get worse when you're trying to balance the weight in the last trimester, especially. Then again, almost all women experience similar trouble... and you do already have a slightly more female frame than most males."

"And I'll be here to help," Suzaku said softly, in earnest. Lelouch gave him an acknowledging smile.

But now, speaking of adapting... it was also probably as good a time as any to ask his most deeply burning question: "On the subject of my ability to adapt... There's no chance that having a female reproductive system would actually -"

...Okay, perhaps it _wasn't_ a very good time to ask that question after all, because Suzaku chose that very moment to have a sudden, related epiphany, straightening in his seat next to him and asking -

"Will he be able to breastfeed?"

There was silence for about two seconds. C.C., who had been sitting quietly at the other end and daintily sipping her tea all the while, nearly spat it out.

"...Suzaku." Lelouch gave him a very calm, very deadly grin. "Don't make me murder you in front of these poor, kindhearted souls."

"But I'm just curious..."

Julianna laughed. "I _can_ answer that question, if you'd like."

Lelouch spread his fingers slowly over his face, chagrinned. "...Even if it were possible, I doubt that's something I'd want to do."

"Well... it certainly _is_ possible," offered Julianna.

"All men do possess mammary glands as well," explained Marc. "Theoretically, with enough physical stimulus - which is the baby suckling - one would eventually be able to produce enough milk to nurse."

"But of course, the pregnancy itself and the presence of certain female hormones would make things a lot easier. And you happen to already have this." His wife smiled.

"Wow." C.C. took another calm sip of her tea, eyes gleeful. "It looks like you're actually more of a perfect wife than we've all realized, Lelouch."

Lelouch glared at her and was about to open his mouth with a sharp retort when Suzaku interrupted. (Again.)

"Wait - wouldn't this mean that he'd also develop..."

"Merciful Gods." Lelouch sank his head into his hands. "_Suzaku!_"

"What?" He asked innocently. Over in the corner, C.C. snorted.

The doctors were chuckling. "I'd say it's actually unlikely," Julianna finally replied, laughingly. "Size doesn't determine the amount of milk - the amount of suckling does. But then, neither does this affect size. Some women experience breast enlargement during pregnancy itself, but then since you're male and there's considerably less mammary tissue... I doubt you'll have to be concerned.

"Likewise, just because you now have a female's reproductive system within you doesn't mean you're going to turn into one... if that was what you were worried about earlier."

"Yes," Lelouch heaved a sigh of both relief and moderate embarrassment, one hand still held to his head. "It was." He paused. "All the same, I shall have to give this nursing issue some thought. And that's provided we -"

"Don't worry Lelouch," Suzaku smiled, teasing. "I'll still love you anyway - it doesn't matter if you have breasts or if you're female, male, or in between."

"You - !" Lelouch was left speechless, almost spluttering as the heat rushed to his face, and Suzaku nuzzled his hair and laughed.

Even Marc still seemed slightly amused. "Well, your other organs _are_ all still distinctly male and... functioning as they should, aren't they? I mean, just to be doubly sure - "

"Yes, yes." Lelouch answered, already covering his face again, now in pure, unadulterated embarrassment.

C.C. grinned. "I always _did_ wonder if there were issues with that, actually."

"Oh no," Suzaku responded, a little too helpfully - "He's perfectly fine when we..." - and belatedly realized the intimate nature of the topic and blushed slightly. "Um, yeah... Other than stamina sometimes, of course, but I mean... he doesn't have a... or at least, he still doesn't, so I'm sure - "

"Yes, Suzaku, thank you for so very informatively educating all of us." Lelouch interrupted pointedly through gritted teeth.

"Ah, but now are you sure he's always _been_ male?"

Lelouch made a mental note to scream at C.C. later; the wretched woman was clearly having a field day. And Suzaku, of course, still hadn't gotten it and _had_ to go fall for the bait -

"Well... _yes_... I'm pretty sure he... Because when we went swimming when we were ten - or well, _I_ went swimming while Lelouch was more or less floundering and so I had to -"

"That's quite enough," Lelouch ordered sharply, cheeks flaming despite himself. "_Thank you_, Suzaku, I don't believe we'll be needing anymore confirmation from you on this matter."

Holding back her laughter, Julianna smiled reassuringly at the former emperor, who was now looking very, very flustered and very much less composed than he usually was. "You _won't_ turn into a woman, Your Majesty, there's no need to worry."

"So he won't be losing his -" Suzaku's mouth popped eagerly open again before he could stop himself, and Lelouch let out a mortified, exasperated wail.

"_Gods!_" He seethed, burying his face back in his hands. "Suzaku, I'm going to -"

"...Puke?" Suzaku frantically scrambled for the paper bag they'd set nearby, just in case. "Do you need me to help you to the bathroom or -"

"_NO!_"

Suzaku blinked in confusion as C.C., unable to contain herself any longer, covered her face with Cheese-kun and shook with silent laughter. "Then... what is...?"

"Never mind. _Never mind._" Lelouch made a large effort to stop himself from trembling, took a deep breath, and tried to will all thoughts of mercilessly slaughtering both Suzaku and C.C. out of the way, as well as the enormous rush of blood which had risen to - and was still staining - his cheeks. He should never have asked that question in front of them. He should _never, ever_ have asked that question...

"Sir Kururugi, I believe you would do well to start being more... _perceptive_ of what he's feeling," Julianna had a thoughtful finger tapping the side of her face, amused smiles once again on both her husband's face and her own.

"You mean his moods?" Suzaku guessed, reaching to pat Lelouch's back in concern. Lelouch still had his face buried. "...Is this because I mentioned -"

Marc cleared his throat in alarm and made a cutting motion across it before he could say more and C.C. let out another snort into Cheese-kun.

"Oh." Suzaku said. "_Oh._"

"...Yes," Julianna smiled wryly. "And yes, I was also referring to how hormonal changes can cause extreme highs and lows in his moods. You... might not be as lucky the next time."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Lelouch muttered, finally lifting his head to glower at him.

Suzaku grinned sheepishly back. "Sorry..."

"Having a baby can be exciting, but it can also be quite tiring. His Majesty will need all the support you can give him."

Suzaku nodded. "I know." He was at least aware of (and mentally preparing for) that much. Now, what else did he already know about pregnancies...? The morning sickness, the backaches, the mood swings, the food cravings... swollen ankles...

"Getting some books to read will probably be a good idea." Julianna supplied, as if hearing his thoughts. She pulled two considerably thick pregnancy and baby care books out of her bag. "I've brought these for starters - they should be helpful in answering many questions and you'll find some useful advice in there. Though I'm sure you're already aware of the more important things like avoiding alcohol and getting plenty of rest and pre-natal vitamins... especially considering that blood pressure level of His Majesty's." She smiled. "And of course, you can ask us any questions when you have them, too."

"I do have another, actually." Lelouch, having almost regained his composure, interlaced his fingers loosely in front of himself. He could feel the beginnings of a headache (probably another side effect thanks to the pregnancy and Suzaku's utter stupidity), but managed to ignore it for the moment. "...As to how things are going to work anatomically with a uterus, especially after the birth."

"Ah, yes, I was getting to that. Your uterus is functioning as it should in a pregnancy right now, though if the ability passed to you by C.C. is simply the ability to have children, then this would've made it slightly different from an ordinary one, given that it has to adapt itself accordingly.

"My deduction is that, in order to prevent instances of menstrual bleeding, you only ovulate when your system registers a presence of Sir Kururugi's reproductive cells in you, and the lining only develops if the egg is fertilized - since the womb itself _had_ to have developed first before this conception and... you've never experienced any bleeding from anywhere, have you?"

Lelouch shook his head. "None."

Julianna nodded, making sense of his answer. "We're most probably looking at induced ovulation, then. Perhaps something a little closer to an estrous cycle - exit for the lining would be less straightforward, after all. We'll have to see exactly what happens after the birth, but there most likely won't be any problems."

"So you mean... we can still have more children?" Suzaku asked.

Julianna laughed. "We'll have to wait and see. In theory, the womb would still function, but of course, sperm may not meet the egg every time ovulation happens - and there's always still the chance that the channel may not open again or that he may not ovulate again at all after this pregnancy."

"We wouldn't know for sure; this case is the first of its kind, and we lack the facilities to carry out extensive research." Marc smiled knowingly at Lelouch. "Though I assume Your Majesty wouldn't appreciate being subject to examination and probing everyday, anyway."

"I certainly wouldn't."

"If all goes well though..." Julianna added, "Then yes, there's a chance you'll be able to have more."

A pause. Lelouch touched Suzaku's arm gently. "Let's... take things one step at a time, shall we?"

Suzaku looked at him and instantly found himself sheepish. "...Yeah." There would be plenty of time to worry about more children later. The morning itself was starting to feel a little overwhelming, and Lelouch was already looking tired. Suzaku wrapped an arm around him and kissed his cheek, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "Are you all right?"

"Just an oncoming headache." Lelouch managed a smile.

Julianna looked at them understandingly. "It's been a long morning."

"The most interesting one I've had in weeks, though," remarked C.C., who was still observing them all with a smirk. Lelouch decided he was suddenly feeling too fatigued to bother passing a biting remark back and simply scowled at her.

"...Well then, if you have no other questions for now you should probably get some rest," advised Marc. "I imagine this whole checkup was quite a bit to take in."

"We'll come up again in four weeks if there are no other problems. Till then though, get in a good diet, give those books a look over, and..." Julianna grinned at Suzaku. "Try not to get under his skin."

"Got it." Suzaku nodded soberly. Even with Lelouch's 'Live' command still on him, there were, after all, many, many ways in which Lelouch could torment him without killing him, and he certainly didn't want to end up in any such predicament.

C.C. simply raised her eyebrows, now harboring her smirk behind her cup once again. Oh yes, this was going to be _very_ interesting...

* * *

And so the doctors took their leave, and Lelouch went to have a lie down - though this eventually involved a lot more thinking than resting. When Suzaku checked on him and realized he wasn't quite asleep yet he climbed in gingerly with him, slipping arms around him from behind.

"What are you thinking of?"

Lelouch sighed a little. "Everything. But mostly the fact that I'm... going to be a parent. A mother, more appropriately."

As oddly thrilling as it was, the situation had still been unexpected ('unexpected' probably already being an understatement), and now that the fuss was over and his initial fears had been allayed, he'd spent the past ten minutes trying to gather more loose thoughts and fully accept all the facts. Children had never been something he'd actually considered before - and rightfully so. A year ago, two, three years - and even before he'd met C.C. and been given the Geass which had brought everything forward - in the infant stages of his scheming to rip apart the Britannian system, children would have been seen as weaknesses much like Nunnally, should he ever have fathered any - and that in itself would've been out of the question when there'd been so many more important things to grapple with.

But here, now... and... in this way...

Suzaku smiled momentarily at his words, but then nuzzled his hair again, murmuring his admittance. "...I'm still finding it kind of hard to believe, too."

"It won't be, in a couple more months." Lelouch's own smile was wry as he slipped his hands over his and pressed them gently onto his still quite flat abdomen, before adding quietly, "...There's something else we'll also need to remember."

"What's that?"

"We're getting one more life in danger... if anything happens." If someone happened to find them, or if...

Suzaku moved to plant a kiss in between his shoulder-blades, voice soft but firm. "Nothing is going to happen."

"I know." They'd come this far, after all - the chances were very slim, and he still had the Geass, if all else failed, but - "I'm just... listing all the possibilities."

He felt Suzaku smile again as he squeezed his shoulders. "You're worried, aren't you? I thought worrying was _my_ job."

"I'm not... worried. Given the situation now, it'll probably be easier for Cornelia to start dressing in _pink frills_ than for us to truly be in harm's way; I just don't want us to be completely disregarding the - "

Suzaku chuckled knowingly, giving his shoulders another reassuring squeeze. "I know... I haven't forgotten." He said softly. "...But I'll be here. _We'll_ be here to protect it. And nothing is going to happen anyway. So don't worry... okay?"

"Hhm." Satisfied with the answer, Lelouch let out another small, tired sigh and settled against him, closing his eyes. His head was throbbing mildly, but Suzaku was now rubbing soothing circles into his shoulders, which helped.

"...Lelouch?"

"Mhmm?"

"You're not... angry with me, are you?"

"...For?"

"For... this. I mean, I know you already said we'll go through with this, but... I know it must've been a shock as well, and I wanted to know if..."

Lelouch turned around, opening his eyes briefly again to smile at Suzaku's guilty-puppy face. "I'm not angry." He murmured laughingly. "Surprised, yes, tired, yes, cranky... perhaps I will be, perhaps I won't..." He actually snuggled into Suzaku's embrace. "But I think this is _wonderful_."

Ah, how Suzaku's heart fluttered then. (After all, guilty as he still felt, somewhat, he had to admit that the thought was both warming his insides and giving him little butterflies as well.) There was a tiny voice in his head which was warning that Lelouch would probably be thinking it a lot _less_ wonderful once the side effects kicked in good and proper, and another tiny voice which was trying to remind him about what Lelouch had said about torturing him the day before - but it was enough relief for now, to see that he did appear as happy about it as he was.

And Lelouch was already yawning, so he took comfort in the fact that Lelouch wasn't exactly blaming him (for the moment anyway), pulled him closer, kissed him lightly, and tried to enjoy the few hours (or possibly less) of domestic bliss and peace that he probably had left...

* * *

_Edited the last part because I didn't quite like how it ended off, and I wanted to give the boys a little more room to work things out and fully grasp their... ahem, situation. And nothing's going to happen, of course, as Suzaku says - Lelouch is just experiencing an early case of protective maternal instinct *snerk*_

_Regarding male lactation: wikipedia has aaaall you need to know (yes, it IS possible and it's not something I just made up, though I may have to make a few tweaks to make things less awkward) ;D Next chapter's where more fun starts! I already have almost half the scenes written, but it's going to take about 3 more weeks at least, while I get exams out of the way. Look forward to it - and in the meanwhile, thoughts/feedback, concrit, questions, or just plain fangirling are all most welcome!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you all for the reviews and the faves/alerts! This took me longer than expected, but it's a LOONG chapter, and I hope it's worth the wait. (Yes, there WILL be hormones. And fluff/sap. Plenty of it.) For those of you who may have missed it, there's also an extra scene which I added to the last part of Chapter 2.  
_

_Rating moved up to M for this chapter, for a little smut-_*ish_* bit at the end. I say only smut-ish because... well, you'll see xD  
_

* * *

Chapter 3

As it turned out, the side effects of Lelouch's hormonal balancing certainly didn't waste more time in making themselves well felt.

He'd rested well over the previous day and night, but early on Monday morning, Lelouch still got up on the wrong side of bed. Suzaku had risen earlier, so it meant that the warmth next to him was gone - not that he minded too much, since his own body temperature _had_ been getting uncomfortably warmer - what irked him was the lack of someone to cuddle with upon waking. And was that... bacon and eggs?

Now, if you were there you would probably have agreed with me that the bacon and eggs Suzaku was busy making in the kitchen actually smelled _good_. And it should also be made known that Lelouch ordinarily didn't mind bacon and eggs at all, it was just that on that particular morning...

Lelouch took one whiff, gagged, and bolted for the bathroom as his stomach gave the most sickening lurch.

One heave, two heaves, three - _oh, merciful Gods_ - and _another_ -

It was awful. And he could _still_ smell the _goddamned bacon._

"...Lelouch?" Suzaku was stepping in some seconds later, squatting by his side and stroking his back soothingly as he handed him a mug of warm water with the other hand. Lelouch took it, rinsed the taste of bile from his mouth, then sipped at the water slowly and miserably.

"...There's breakfast, when you're feeling better. I made bacon and e-"

The mere thought almost made him gag again. "No... no, just, no. Don't."

Suzaku looked at his ashen face and winced inwardly. "Are you... okay?"

"_No__._"

It sounded so harsh and bitter that Suzaku flinched. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "I don't _have_ to go, you know," he said softly. "If you -"

There were many ways in which Lelouch could've told him "_Leave me alone"_, or _"No, you have to go back to Nunnally." _But because he was suddenly upset with a lot of things that morning (Suzaku not being there when he woke, the smell of bacon which had made him vomit horribly, Suzaku not knowing that the smell of bacon had made him vomit horribly, Suzaku being the indirect cause of all this in the first place, the birds twittering merrily away outside while he was here feeling so miserable), what came out was, "If you don't get out of my sight within ten seconds, Suzaku, I swear I am going to _castrate_ you."

Suzaku gulped and shifted tentatively away from him.

"I'm going to start counting."

Suzaku hightailed it out from the bathroom and the bedroom with such speed, he probably broke his own bullet-dodging sprint record.

C.C., spread idly out on the couch, grinned at his highly disturbed expression as he stumbled outside. "You know he wasn't much of a morning person to begin with."

Suzaku rubbed the back of his neck, troubled. "Are - are you sure you'll be all right with him in this state?" He was already dressed to go (thankfully) - and Lelouch evidently wanted him out of the house right then, but he still felt bad about leaving both him and C.C. alone, especially now with Lelouch in his... delicate condition...

"I've spent much more time dealing with Her Majesty and her hormonal moods than you have in the past three years altogether, haven't I?" C.C. smirked.

"That's... true... but -"

"_What '__Her Majesty'__?_" Came a screech from their bathroom, and Suzaku visibly cringed.

"Oh boy..."

"Don't worry," C.C. grinned again. "If it gets out of hand, he can always have Cheese-kun."

Suzaku stopped, stared, blinked. "..._Cheese-kun?_"

"Never mind, you probably don't want to know." She got up and began ushering him to the door. "I'll be fine. Just make sure you bring back a truly ridiculous amount of pizza for my effort."

"Okay. Just... call me if anything happens, all right? And call Sayoko down if you need any help. I mean... well, you'll probably need to explain the situation to them first but just... well, don't leave him alone in the house..."

"Yes, yes. Don't forget the pizza." She smiled sweetly and shut the door in his face.

Left out on the porch with the birds still twittering merrily away in the trees somewhere, Suzaku briefly mourned the waste of his bacon and eggs (or maybe C.C. would eat those anyway), sent up a quick and desperate plea to the heavens for Lelouch's well-being and the safety of the entire household, and then finally made his way to the car still in complete puzzlement as to just what Cheese-kun had to do with pacifying the mood swings of hormonal pregnant wome- _humans, _humans - hormonal, pregnant... humans...

* * *

So Suzaku spent the week generally fretting and worrying some more. There was nothing to be heard from C.C., which was either a good thing or a very, very bad thing, and he was tempted to pick up the phone and call home once or twice mid-week when he had some privacy, but decided against it for fear that it would disturb Lelouch's rest and make him even crankier - or worse.

Nunnally noticed how he seemed a little distracted and asked him concernedly about it, but he was careful not to let his hands near her extra perceptive touch and managed to assure her things were fine, that it actually wasn't something she would be worried about, and that he would let her know in due time what it really was.

In the meantime, however, there was much to be learnt and done. He'd brought one of the baby books given by Julianna with him to pour over in his spare time, and he managed to pick up a ton more from the private royal library. Suzaku studied them diligently, going over pages in curiosity and taking note especially of sections headed _Advice for Fathers_. By the end of the week, there was an entire pile of books, magazines and manuals in Zero's office, hiding behind his desk.

On Friday evening he finally decided it was safe enough to ring home - after all, he also needed to find out if there was anything in particular Lelouch or C.C. wanted from the supermarket before he made his trip back... (There was, of course, already a special order placed at Pizza Hut for a truly ridiculous amount of pizza - topped with a truly ridiculous amount of stringy, melted cheese.) C.C. picked up the phone first, thankfully.

"You owe me a new Cheese-kun." She reported a little sourly.

But the rest of the week had been mostly bearable on the whole thanks to her _expert methods _of dealing with hormonal bastards, she said - aside from Lelouch polishing off the rest of the pizza before she'd had a chance to gobble it first.

"Please don't tell me we need another order for a truly ridiculous amount of pizza," Suzaku said with a touch of desperation. How their wallets - or rather, _his_ wallet - was going to suffer...

"No, blueberries."

"Blueberries?"

"If there's one thing that's been constant in his peculiar appetite pattern these few days, they're it."

Suzaku discerningly made a note on his list, right below _Pre-natal Vitamins_.

"Hold it, I think he's awake now. I'll ask if he wants anything else." A short pause and some muffled groggy, grumpy responses later, C.C. came back on with, "Vanilla ice cream."

Suzaku made another note. "Got it. ...Is everything okay there? He sounded quite..."

"Oh, that's just the power of Cheese-kun," she informed him, sounding just a bit too gleeful and pleased and with herself.

"I still don't understand," Suzaku began protesting in confusion.

"Trust me, you don't need to. See you!"

A click, before he could say more. Suzaku put down the phone and sighed. And then he stared at the pile of baby books and wondered if any of them had anything to say about such a bizarre... bizarre... Well, the whole thing was just bizarre.

Perhaps he really was better off not knowing.

* * *

When he finally arrived back at the cottage late the next morning, Lelouch was still sleeping. C.C. delightedly claimed her reward of pizza from his arms and proceeded to secure her treasure safely away somewhere just in case Lelouch's tastebuds decided to call for more pizza again. Suzaku, meanwhile, found his love curled up and dreaming peacefully on their bed - Cheese-kun squished in a cuddle between his arms.

Asleep like this, he was a picture of bliss, and Suzaku found himself smiling both in fondness, and relief that he at least seemed well-rested. Gently, he approached the bed and climbed on to it before planting a soft kiss to his cheek.

Lelouch stirred and turned, his frown at being woken dissolving into a warm smile as he realized who it was.

"Hey,"

"Hey," Suzaku grinned back, amused at the huge contrast of his behavior compared to when he'd last left the house. Whatever Cheese-kun did for pregnant mothers at least seemed to be working. "I'm home -"

He'd barely finished the sentence when Lelouch pulled him down for a long, gratifying kiss.

...Which Suzaku was no doubt enjoying, until Lelouch suddenly bit down on his bottom lip. Hard.

"Ow!" He pulled back with a surprised yelp.

"_That_, was for leaving me _alone_ with that insufferable _witch_ for _the entire week_."

Suzaku decided to revise his theory on Cheese-kuns for the moment and protested woundedly, rubbing his sore lip, "You chased me out of the house!"

"...I did, didn't I?" Lelouch mused for a moment, then scowled. "You could at least have called or dropped by a few days later."

"But... how was I supposed to know if you no longer wanted to skin me alive?" He was almost afraid to try to defend himself any further.

"True..." Lelouch looked thoughtful as he sat up. "Well, I suppose it's fine then, since you're here now." He smiled, pressing a quick, tender kiss to his lips. "Sorry about that."

Suzaku didn't know whether to start laughing from bewilderment or crying from confusion.

Lelouch looked at him evenly through half-lidded eyes, blinking once, twice. And then something growled, quite loudly, and Suzaku did end up laughing. "Breakfast?"

"Hm," Lelouch stretched briefly, then got up in search of the aforementioned, leaving Cheese-kun behind.

Suzaku paused and looked at Cheese-kun. Cheese-kun stared calmly back up at him. Very calmly. With his/its usual docile, very innocent, very harmless expression.

"Are you going to return that to C.C.?" Suzaku called after Lelouch.

"Don't you even _think_ about it."

...Alright, so he _would_ have to get C.C. another Cheese-kun then. Still somewhat perplexed, Suzaku picked him/it up and studied him/it long and hard. "What is it that makes you so special anyway?"

Cheese-kun continued to stare plainly back, and said nothing. Suzaku sighed.

Meanwhile outside, Lelouch had stopped short on his way to the kitchen to stare at the small mountain of baby books now sitting on the coffee table. Suzaku had indeed outdone himself, he thought with wry yet fond amusement. Those would ought to serve for a good couple of months' reading, at least...

He shook his head. Hungry. Food first. Especially while he wasn't throwing anything up. Now, if Suzaku had remembered to stock up on the cornflakes as well... Oh yes, and there was _ice cream_, wasn't there? His stomach growled again.

It took two seconds for him to reach the kitchen.

It took another two seconds for Suzaku to come strolling after him, Arthur now in his arms.

And it took only two more seconds before Lelouch was blinking, nothing short of dumbfoundedly, at the dozen different colorful plastic bottles which had toppled out onto the counter when he'd emptied the first grocery bag.

"Suzaku, what -"

"...Pre-natal vitamins?" Suzaku offered a hopeful smile.

"...I can see that."

"Meow," said Arthur.

"They... all seemed necessary, so I kind of... just..."

"- grabbed every single one of them. Yes, I can see that too." Lelouch sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He supposed he'd simply have to give them a look over later and decide which of them to actually start tak- aha, ice cream. His train of thought now interrupted by the sight of the cooler bag, Lelouch reached eagerly for it, only to pull out, much to his disdain, a box of - "...Vanilla."

Suzaku looked up in the midst of setting Arthur back down on the floor (before the cat could bite him again). "Didn't you say you wanted vanilla over the phone last night?"

Baby Book rule number 1: The pregnant mother is always right.

"_Vanilla_," Lelouch said, conveniently ignoring his justification, "is the most unbelievably _bland _flavor you could have possibly picked up." He set the box down and placed his hands on the table. "Get me Pistachio. Or Rum and Raisin."

Baby Book rule number 2: Never, ever try to argue with a pregnant mother,_ especially _not during the first 3 - 4 months.

Negative Example: Kururugi Suzaku.

Suzaku frowned. "But I don't think there _was_ any Pistachio... And there's alcohol in Rum and Raisin. The baby book said -"

Ah, yes, the Baby Book did say that alcohol was inadvisable for expectant mothers. But you see, our poor innocent subject, Kururugi Suzaku, also has yet to learn that the Baby Book can sometimes be about as contradictory as the Bible.

So now, as a result of this... very tactful response of his - Lelouch went very, very silent, very, very still - and glowered.

Baby Book rule number 3: If this happens, there are three options. a. Compromise b. Advise her at your own risk c. Refer back to rule number 1.

Suzaku, bless his poor soul, fortunately opted for a cross between a and c. He took a step backward, swallowing. "I'll uh... go get it now."

One and a half hours later, Suzaku was still desperately combing the third supermarket for Pistachio-flavored ice cream (because he wasn't going to let Lelouch have any amount of alcohol if his life depended on it, and because the previous two supermarts also didn't have the alternative option called Pistachio). And perhaps it was just as well that he couldn't find it, because then C.C. rang to say that Lelouch had changed his mind and wanted... Strawberry.

Suzaku bit back a sigh and rubbed a temple tiredly. "What are the chances that he'll change his mind again by the time I get back?"

"Good point," she said. "Why don't you just get a pint of every single flavor? They're smaller, and that way, I can slowly finish up whatever he doesn't want." He could almost see her grinning over the other end.

But it was a valid suggestion, and so Suzaku managed to procure a few more cooler bags and haul twenty-three different pint-sized tubs of ice cream back to the cottage in the car. (Living in exile was turning out to be a very, very troublesome thing after all.)

Lelouch had already eaten something else for breakfast while he was gone, of course, but the biggest reward of having to make that trip back for the mere sake of ice cream was the way his eyes quietly lit up and the way he then blissfully dug into one whole pint each of... Blueberry, and... Vanilla.

Ah, how relieved Suzaku was then that he'd taken C.C.'s suggestion; never mind the fact that the little ice cream spree had cost him considerably and that Lelouch had eventually settled for vanilla again. Lelouch's sheer delight was clear, and there was even a tiny little satisfied hum which escaped his throat as he finally polished off the last spoon, now looking absolutely contented.

"You know, at this rate you're only going to get -"

Suzaku nearly knocked over the table and two chairs in his frantic scramble to clap a hand over C.C.'s mouth.

Baby Book rule number 4: Never, ever make negative comments about a pregnant mother's weight, or call her "fat".

So Suzaku, who fortunately had done his studying in_ this _area, was already shaking his head at her in alarm, desperately trying to make his eyes communicate _No no no don't say it, DON'T say it, or we're all DEAD._

"Oh lighten up," C.C. smirked, obviously disregarding his look of horror. "I'm just trying to have some fun."

Lelouch blinked unamusedly at both of them, his spoon still poised gracefully in midair. "I know very well what she was going to say, Suzaku."

Suzaku wanted to gulp.

But then Lelouch simply rose from his seat with his own smirk and a light, "We shall see about that, witch," and there was nothing more to that.

...Alright, so maybe the Baby Book wasn't always right about everything. That, or Lelouch was now plotting something devious and horrifically horrible. Suzaku chose to hope it was the former.

Thankfully the rest of the day did pass without _too_ much mishap - there were only a couple more weird appetite demands, and many more little tiffs with C.C. (which always upsetted Lelouch, since he never quite seemed to win). But the blueberries, Cheese-kun, and cuddles from Suzaku (_if_ Lelouch was open to receiving cuddles and/or cuddling back) helped to keep things more or less sane. And Suzaku remembered to make sure Lelouch started taking his pre-natal vitamins.

There was, however, to be a small problem in the upcoming week, and Suzaku finally found the chance to tell him about it that night as they got into bed. "...Nunnally has to see to a number of Britannian matters during the conference this week. It's... going to be pretty busy, so we both won't be able to make it down until Friday, or maybe Thursday evening... but we'll be back here as soon as we can. Okay?"

Lelouch looked at him accusingly. "You're leaving me." The question was half a statement. "Again."

"Yes. -_No, _I mean - I'd love to be here... I _want_ to be here - and we both want to be here, I'm sure, but... we can't. At least not for this week." He tucked a lock of raven hair behind Lelouch's ear, already feeling horrible. Here Lelouch needed him and yet there was nothing he could do about the duties he still needed to attend to. The conference had been arranged months beforehand. "But I'll call." He promised earnestly. "Every day. Okay? And... if C.C.'s really that bad you could always call Sayoko down for help and... for extra company, you know."

"Fine." Lelouch sighed. The upset was clear in his voice, however, and he turned around with a huff and refused to face him, already emanating a brooding aura of gloom and unhappiness.

Suzaku reached toward him. "Lelouch-"

"Goodnight, Suzaku."

Suzaku heaved a silent, heavy sigh. This was turning out to be a little harder than he'd thought. After a moment's deliberation he decided to take the risk and wrapped his arms around him from behind, nuzzling into the crook of Lelouch's neck.

"I love you, Lelouch."

"Mhm." Came the disgruntled response. Lelouch didn't move, but then he hadn't tried to push him away either, so Suzaku supposed this was good enough, snuggled a little closer, and let themselves drift off to sleep.

* * *

Sunday, too, miraculously passed peacefully enough, despite another bad bout of Lelouch's morning sickness which onset around noon instead. Other than that the most interesting event was, perhaps, when they eventually called up Jeremiah and Sayoko to explain things - Jeremiah had listened and went silent for a short while, then burst into the heartiest congratulations, booming the news to Sayoko at the same time. And C.C. had her fun watching the young men's expressions waver from embarrassment, to awkward bashfulness, to utter embarrassment again as they attempted to respond with thanks to the delighted exuberance from all three (Anya and her teasing included) on the other end of the line.

And so it was settled - Sayoko happily volunteered to come down to help look after "Her Majesty" during Suzaku's absence for the week, already even offering suggestions:

"I helped change Milly-sama's diapers when I was a young girl. And bathe her, and feed her milk. There is _much_ I can teach you."

"...Yes... ah... thank you, Sayoko, I'm... sure that would be more helpful than... attempting to learn it from just the books alone..."

Suzaku listened to the remainder of their phone conversation and smiled, reassured.

Lelouch was going to be just fine.

...Oh, but how very wrong Suzaku was. Monday did fly by without a hitch, but Tuesday... turned out to be one of the worst days of Lelouch's life.

"No, I'm NOT all right!" He seethed, almost screaming into the phone when Suzaku rang. "The sunflowers look wilted, the heat is _terrible, _the _air-conditioning broke down_, and I can't sleep! I can't even _cook_ anything properly because we don't have enough _carrots_ from the back garden, and I _need_ carrots! I've thrown up _THREE times _since morning, there was a horrendous, enormous _spider_ in the kitchen, Arthur killed a sparrow and brought it into the _bedroom_, and - I've never felt more horrible in _my entire life!_ And this is _ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE _YOU HAD TO GO AND GET ME _PREGNANT!_ I HATE YOU. _I HATE YOU!_"

By the time he was done Lelouch was indeed screaming, and Suzaku had (figuratively) shrunk to about the size of a pea on the other end, since he had been shrinking back with each complaint, flinching more and more and now overwhelmed by the tidal wave of Lelouch's distress.

"Lelouch..." He finally managed, cringing, "Calm down-"

"Oh, I will. Once I get Jeremiah to cancel that command so I can murder you. Slowly. With big, nine-inch long nails. Do you know _how many times_ I've had to visit the bathroom today?"

He swallowed. How was he to handle this? "Okay, uhmmm... is C.C. there? Or Sayoko?"

"Yes, Suzaku, I'm here." Evidently C.C. had chosen that very moment to snatch the phone from Lelouch. Suzaku made a mental note to thank her later.

"What is going on?" It was difficult to keep the frantic strain from his voice.

"Well, you're looking at how things were last week - times three."

"That's..."

"It's everything Lelouch just said. Possibly worse."

Suzaku winced. "How are you holding up? What happened to... Cheese-kun? I thought -"

"He's grown out of it."

Well. That was fast. "And... Sayoko..."

"- is the only reason why the house is still intact."

Suzaku sank his head into one hand. "That bad, huh?"

A small chuckle. "We'll survive. It looks like her methods are a lot more... direct and practical."

As if on cue, Sayoko's voice was now floating in from the background, stern and firm, though not raised. _"...Lelouch-sama. Get a hold on yourself, please. A bad day is still __no__ reason to..."_

"Is she _lecturing_ him?" Suzaku asked incredulously.

"Quite. With a couple of kunais pointed at him, too."

"With _what?_"

C.C. snorted. "I was just kidding about the second part."

Sayoko seemed to be finishing what she was saying. _"... how worried he must be - and you're __not__ helping."_

There was a short pause of silence, and then the sound of Lelouch murmuring helplessly, _"Gods, Sayoko, __I don't know__. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Or why I even -"_

"...I think you'd better talk to him." said C.C., and the phone was transferred.

"...Lelouch?" Suzaku ventured.

There was the barest choke. "I'm sorry." Lelouch whispered. "I'm sorry - I didn't -"

"Oh, Gods." Suzaku breathed, his grip tightening on the phone. "Don't cry Lelouch, please -"

It was so mundane a situation and so rare of Lelouch that Suzaku would have laughed, but he knew enough (especially from the baby books) about how emotionally stressful and upsetting the changes Lelouch was going through could be and - ah, shit - he'd heard that sob, soft as it had been. Lelouch was really crying...

"Oh Lelouch..." There was nothing Suzaku wanted more in that moment than to rush back home, gather him into his arms, and hold him. "It's all right..."

_"Great. Now they're both going to start wailing." _He could hear C.C. remarking from the other end. Suzaku ignored the high probability of her statement and fought down the swelling lump of guilt in his own throat.

"Everything's going to be fine, you'll see." He tried soothing gently. "It's normal, it happens. Almost all women -"

"I'm _not_ a woman!"

...Shit.

"I know, I know, of course not, I meant -" Suzaku ran a hand through his hair. Something occured to him then and he checked his watch. Time. There was still a little less than two hours before the next meeting would start, if he could just -

"Look. I'll come over right now, okay? It won't be for long, but at least -"

"No," Lelouch's response was almost immediate. "No." He managed again, firmer this time despite choking back another sob. "Stay right where you are - that's an order. I'll... I'll be fine."

Suzaku pressed the phone closer. "...Are you sure?"

A deep breath. "Yes. I'm just... I probably just need to rest. My mind's a mess. My body's a mess. I'm not even sure why I..."

"I mean it, Lelouch. I could always get Schneizel to pose as Zero in case I don't make it back on time..."

There was a sigh, though he was almost certain Lelouch had smiled at that image. "If you walk through that door right now, Suzaku, I can't guarantee you'll be walking out of it again anytime soon."

Suzaku chose to take the positive interpretation of that statement over the more morbid one. "Okay, okay..."

"Don't worry too much about me. I'm in good hands."

"...I know, I..."

"And... I don't hate you." He said softly.

Suzaku almost laughed, if it weren't for the sudden welling of tears in his own eyes from the whole mixture of morose, relief and longing which flooded him. "I know that, too." He whispered.

And perhaps Lelouch had smiled again then (he hoped he had) but then "Sayoko wants to speak with you."

"Okay."

And Sayoko took the phone and poured out a flurry of steady reassurance. "Don't you worry about a thing, Suzaku-sama," she said, and told him she would see if she couldn't get more carrots from a nearby farm, if Jeremiah couldn't come down to see to the air-conditioning problems by the end of the day, and that she would fix Lelouch a nice comforting bowl of chicken soup once all of this was over.

Suzaku didn't know where they would be without her and how else to thank her.

"By not worrying," Sayoko laughed. "Now go get yourself back to work. He's going to be fine."

"All right," Suzaku managed a smile. "Tell him I love him."

"Of course, Suzaku-sama."

And so they said goodbyes, and Suzaku clicked off the phone, sighed, and picked his Zero mask back up. And _tried_ not to worry too much.

He still decided to call again at night for good measure - just in case.

* * *

Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, former world dictator, the man who made the impossible possible (now with added irony to this title) - was _not _this pathetic. Oh no, absolutely not. He'd taken over whole countries, he'd _destroyed and recreated the world_, and there wasn't a single soul on the planet besides Schneizel who could still beat him at chess, he was sure, so there was absolutely _no reason _why he had to be waited on hand and foot like an invalid - even though he'd probably thrown up an entire continent right after breakfast. Again.

Thankfully Sayoko had given in to his insistence this time and left him to his devices in the kitchen - and rightfully so, since he was still perfectly capable of preparing lunch (and a good, appetizing one, mind you) _all by himself_. Oh yes, pregnant or not, he certainly wasn't going to sit there like some pitiful weakling and let everything else be done for him. It did awful things to his manly pride. He wasn't that pathetic and he would sure as hell _prove it_, goddammit. Lelouch chopped the additional carrots they'd managed to obtain the day before so hard and fumingly fast, he almost sliced off part of his finger. Just a_lmost_, of course - he was too refined for an accident like that to actually happen.

...In fact, the only reason why it had come so close to happening was probably because he _was_ still feeling tired, because it had been difficult to fall asleep in the heat, and Jeremiah was only able to come by and fix the air-conditioning later that day, and even though Suzaku's extra call the night before had made things a little more bearable, it still didn't help the horrid, weakening sensation that the bad round of morning sickness had brought about, and -

No, no. This had to stop. Yesterday had been bad enough. He _could not_ be this _pathetic_. He wasn't going to allow it.

Lelouch set down the knife and steadied himself. He'd survived the previous week, and the weeks prior to that - and he _would_ survive this one now, no matter how much worse things seemed to be getting.

Right. Now, there were noodles to boil, and -

There was what seemed like a tiny explosion when he turned the knob of the stove, and Lelouch found himself waving the cloud of smoke away from his face, coughing a little.

"Lelouch-sama, are you all right?" Sayoko's voice now, in slight alarm.

"Fine. Just a little trouble with the..." Oh Gods, there had _better _not be anything wrong with the _stove_ now, or he was going to -

He turned the knob again. Nothing. No spark, no flame, no...

There was, however, the faint smell of... Lelouch thought for one second, then knelt, yanked open the cabinet below the stove where the main gas valve was located and reached in to check the clamp. No, everything seemed fine. He got up and examined the burners, the portholes... which also didn't appear to have problems.

He tried getting a flame yet again. Still nothing happened.

Lelouch shut his eyes, inhaled - and let loose a ruthless slew of the most colorful vocabulary in both the English and the Japanese language, flawlessly strung together in the longest curse ever known to mankind.

Sayoko came over, took in the situation in three seconds, and instantly placed firm hands on his shoulders. "Out of the way. There could be a gas leak somewhere, and you don't want to endanger yourself or your child, no matter how low the risk may be. I'll handle this."

And much to his inner dismay, Lelouch found himself powerless to argue.

Sayoko thus sent him off to rest while she checked for clogs and cleaned everything out just to be doubly sure. Ten minutes later, she reported that she still couldn't find the problem despite her best efforts, and that they would probably have to wait for Jeremiah to see if he could repair the stove as well.

Lelouch nodded defeatedly, head propped up with one hand on the armrest of the couch where he was reclining. "I expected that." With any luck, they'd probably have three more mishaps before the day ended and he was going to make it out of everything with the worst headache ever.

"We could still fix you a salad, if you're hungry. Or if you'd like, it'll only take about half an hour for me to get some fresh fish from the river. I am familiar with the ones which are free of mercury and rich in Omega-3 and I could always make you some sashimi -"

His hand flew to his mouth as his stomach turned in protest. "No... no, thank you Sayoko," he managed weakly, "but nothing raw right now, please." A pause. "...In fact, if you could just... leave me alone for the moment, I think I just need to..."

"Certainly, Lelouch-sama." She said understandingly and excused herself, and Lelouch was grateful that C.C., too, was somewhere else in her room or outside and not making things even worse for him with her snide remarks.

He groaned quietly and rubbed his hands over his face. Whatever his hormones were doing to balance themselves inside him had probably escalated this week and clearly wasn't giving him an easy time. However did women manage? With the vomiting, the trouble sleeping - and when everything else just seemed to keep going wrong? He'd spent the whole of the previous day just wanting to _cry_, (and he had, over the phone) and he was now feeling the same way all over again. It was a miserable, pathetic, _helpless_ feeling - and the circumstances didn't serve to help - but he wasn't going to let the previous day's events repeat themselves, at least.

A moment passed. Lelouch took a deep breath, closed his eyes - and, for the first time since finding out that he was pregnant, spoke to the unborn child within him. _I can't keep up like this, my little one... So please, __please__... if you can - let things settle in there... For both our sakes..._

Of course, he doubted that the fetus would understand or even pick up on his desperation in any way, but it did help him feel like he had a slightly firmer grasp on things, and Lelouch let his hand linger gently on the warmth nestled in his abdomen, a small smile now gracing his lips.

Here was the cause of all his problems, and yet...

The phone rang then, breaking him out of his musing, and Lelouch reached over and answered it, already knowing who it would be.

"Yes, Suzaku."

A tinkle of laughter. "It's me, Brother."

Ah. "Nunnally," he felt a warm smile spread across his face almost immediately. "How goes your conference?"

"Very well," she answered enthusiastically. "We have many new things planned for the motherland. I'm in Zero's office now, taking a break with Suzaku. And I'll be able to come back with him this time, once all of this is wrapped up!"

"Is that so? I'll look forward to seeing you both, then."

She seemed to pause. "Brother, are you all right? You sound tired."

"...I am, just a little." Lelouch admitted. "But it's nothing you need to be worried about." He considered things for a moment and eventually explained, softly, "Suzaku and I have something special to tell you when you get back, that's all."

"Oh?" He could almost see her eyes twinkling. "Now you'll have me all busy wondering what that is... Such suspense!"

Lelouch managed a light laugh, and she laughed back.

"I'll leave you with Suzaku now, then. I have to go see to some other matters outside... I just wanted to hear your voice again for a bit."

Lelouch smiled. Hearing _her_ voice had lifted his own spirits a little. "I miss you, too."

Over on the other end, Nunnally smiled as well. "I'll be looking forward to your surprise. See you soon!"

Suzaku took the call a few moments later, while opening the door for her as she left his quarters to return to her work. "Hey," he said gently.

"Hey," Lelouch greeted back. Nunnally had been right - he did sound tired.

"How's your day been so far?"

"Moderately disastrous. The stove went up in smoke, and now it won't light. We'll get Jeremiah to have a look at it later when he comes down to fix the air-conditioning."

The _stove_ now? Suzaku winced inwardly. Lelouch seemed to be handling things better than he had the day before, though, at least... "Are you okay, then? Have you eaten anything? How're you feeling?"

Lelouch sighed. "Tired, hungry and miserable. But I'll live."

Suzaku bit his lip and took a long moment to respond. Never had he wished harder... to be able to just _do something_... There was nothing he could say which could actually make up for... "You have no idea..." He finally managed hoarsely, "how much I wish I could be there right now."

"Even with the chance that I might still rip your head off any moment?" Lelouch made a weak attempt at joking.

"Even so."

There was a pause, and Suzaku could sense him smiling. "Come home soon." Lelouch said softly.

"I will." He promised. "_We_ will. Things are set to wrap early, so we should be there in time for dinner. I'll call you again if there's any delay." He paused, now smiling too despite himself. "You've already hinted things to Nunnally, haven't you?"

"I have. Don't say any more, though... I want us to be able to tell her together."

"Of course," Suzaku allowed himself a grin.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow evening then."

"Yeah... Take care, okay? Don't - don't do anything silly."

There was a small, disdainful snort. "I won't."

Suzaku smiled. "I love you."

And as expected, there was the abashed, slightly flustered halt. "- Yes, yes. ...Shouldn't you be getting back to work?"

"I really, really love you." Suzaku kept at it, grinning fully now and only wishing he could be there to see the flush which had most probably already crept onto Lelouch's cheeks.

"I am going to hang up, Suzaku."

"Are you?" Suzaku pouted into the phone. "How mean..."

"Well, I can and I most certainly will."

"And yet you're still talking to me..."

"That's -"

He laughed softly. "All right, all right. But I really do."

"...I know." Lelouch finally replied, and Suzaku knew he was smiling again as well. "See you."

"See you," Suzaku returned warmly, and put down his phone just as a knock came on the door. Kallen walked in a moment later, documents in arms and grinning like she'd just won the lottery.

"Some secret lover I should know about, _Zero-sama_?"

"...Something like that," Suzaku managed an even smile, hoping she hadn't overheard too much of the conversation.

"Oh? Being enigmatic now, are we?" She quirked an eyebrow, still grinning, and set a few sheets of paper before him "These need signing. Honestly, is it actually stated anywhere in the job description that I have to double as your secretary and personal assistant? Because that's what I'm really beginning to feel like instead."

"Perhaps," Suzaku looked up from scanning through the papers, his smile genial. "But then you're the only one allowed in here besides Nunnally, aren't you?" It was the reason why he could sit in his office unmasked, after all.

"Hmph."

There was silence for a few moments as he continued reading through the documents, and then Kallen leaned forward, grinning again. "So, who is it?"

"Hm? Who's what?" He asked distractedly.

"Who was that on the phone, you moron?"

"Oh." Suzaku hesitated, pen poised in midair as he looked up at her again. "Well..." Should he say it? Kallen was curious, and Kallen had asked, and Kallen _did_ deserve to know - but the timing, and the situation... "Uhm..."

Her mobile buzzed then, and Kallen checked the message before snapping it shut. "Shit, I have to run. Hurry up with those, will you?"

"Right." Suzaku hastily finished signing the papers and she gathered them back up, winking.

"I'll get you some other time. I heard all that mushy stuff and I'm not forgetting it that easily, loverboy."

Suzaku couldn't think of anything to say in response to that, so he simply laughed a little. "See you then."

"Yeah." But then Kallen stopped at the door, turning back to smile at him with an almost wistful look in her eyes. "You know it's... always great to see you smiling again." She said softly.

And Suzaku found himself smiling back. "You too."

* * *

When Suzaku and Nunnally finally stepped in that evening it was with a quiet smile that Lelouch greeted them. Sayoko had only just left, and with the air-conditioning (and the stove) all fixed thanks to Jeremiah's cyborg eye and abilities, the day had been a great improvement over the previous two - but still the week had been emotionally exhausting for him, and seeing them again brought a certain comfort that Lelouch was immensely grateful for.

For a long, wordless moment, he and Suzaku stood before each other - and then Lelouch stepped forth, Suzaku reached, and they wrapped each other into a warm, tight hug - and nothing ever did need to be said.

"Geez, it's only been what, four days?" C.C. picked an imaginary tuft of fur off Cheese-kun, who'd since been fully reclaimed.

"They miss each other," Nunnally stated, smiling as she bent down to play with Arthur.

They did indeed. After another long moment Suzaku eventually drew back, asking softly, "How are things?"

"Much better, I think." Lelouch smiled, already knowing what else he was referring to.

"How is what?" Nunnally looked up curiously from scratching Arthur underneath the chin. Suzaku had, of course, kept the details of the bad week from her so that she wouldn't have worried, though he'd also been asking about the baby - which Nunnally still didn't know about.

Suzaku and Lelouch exchanged looks, and Lelouch smiled at his younger sister. "Remember what I said about us having something special to tell you?"

"Of course," her eyes shone.

And so they settled down on the couch, and C.C. flopped onto the armchair with Cheese-kun, watching them with mild interest. Nunnally was ready to hear it, and Suzaku and Lelouch were finally ready to share the news with her - the only question now was, where to begin...

"So," Nunnally beamed eagerly at them. "What is it?"

"...Well," Suzaku spoke first, eventually settling on, "The thing is... if everything goes well... you're... going to be an aunt."

Her eyes widened in delight. "Oh, you're adopting a child?"

"...No..." Lelouch said slowly, almost laughing and reddening a little. "That's... not quite it. You see, Nunnally, we've belatedly realized that when C.C. granted me the power of Geass..."

And so Lelouch extended his hand to her, just so she could be sure he wasn't lying, and they proceeded to explain - how the ability from C.C. had manifested in him, how he was now pregnant with Suzaku's child, and how they were going to get through things.

A number of expressions shifted on Nunnally's face as they spoke - from mild puzzlement, to surprise, and then finally to pure, sheer delight. And when they were done she remained still for a good long moment before finally whispering, enthralled, "...I don't know... what to say."

"I told you she'd be delighted," C.C. smirked, and Lelouch and Suzaku exchanged smiles, not for the first time that evening.

"Oh Brother... oh, _C.C..._"

"The pleasure's all mine." C.C. grinned smugly.

Nunnally looked at both Suzaku and her brother. "I'm so happy," she said softly, already almost tearing. "For both of you... When you first told me you had something special to share I thought perhaps you were going to get married but this... this is..." She pressed her fingers to her lips and made a small, happy sound, burying her face into Lelouch's chest, and Lelouch let out a soft chuckle, stroking her hair lovingly.

"...It's perfect." She whispered. And then there were a few more seconds of happy silence before she looked up at them again. "...Oh but... _do_ you want to get married? I've been wanting to suggest this for the longest time, but I... didn't want to push things. But..." She blushed a little. "I just thought that this would be a wonderful time to ask..."

"Oh Nunnally," Lelouch smiled, half-laughing. "I'm sure we'd love to, but it won't make any difference. Suzaku and I are already dead on record -"

"Oh but it doesn't _have_ to be in the state records," She said with twinkling eyes. "I can still solemnize the marriage for you, if you wish for it..." She looked to Suzaku, who now had the most pleasantly surprised, grateful smile spreading across his face.

"You... you would?" He asked softly.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? You've only had to ask..."

Suzaku and Lelouch found themselves gazing at each other for a full moment.

"...You know, I've actually been wanting to ask that for a long time," Suzaku said quietly. "It's just that I never..."

"Thought it necessary, or possible?" Lelouch smiled knowingly back.

"Yeah." He grinned. "But now if Her Majesty Nunnally is willing to have us married..." Suzaku took a breath and then started getting down from the sofa and on one knee before him.

No, no, no wait - Suzaku wasn't _actually_ going to - "...Suzaku, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Nunnally gave a delighted gasp and a huge smirk was already dancing on C.C.'s face. "Oh, how sweet - a proposal."

Lelouch could only gape in a cross between mortification and disbelief. "_Suzaku -_"

"I know, I know it's a sudden decision," Suzaku took hold of his hand gently. "But... I'd like to vow my commitment and love to you again, Lelouch - and this time, not just as your Knight." He smiled. "And you did just say you'd love this too, didn't you? So..." The smile widened and his green eyes were shining. "Will you marry me?"

He'd said it so purely and gallantly that Nunnally made another delighted little noise, and C.C. let out an amused snort. It seemed this little sharing session had now developed into something far more interesting.

"Surely you're not going to turn him down, Brother?"

"You're practically already husband and wife, after all." C.C. quipped. "Complete with a precious little one on the way."

Lelouch had to admit she was right. Given the way things were between them, it wasn't going to make a very big difference... though he supposed a simple ceremony would be nice all the same. And he had a feeling now that Suzaku was going to keep kneeling there till he said yes. (Not that he could find much room for argument, anyway.)

And so he sighed, allowing himself a wry smile. "How can I say no?"

Suzaku grinned, let go of his hand and leaned up to gently wrap an arm around him and kiss him, and when they drew apart Nunnally was smiling and tearing in pure joy and C.C., too, was grinning. "Will you be wearing a dress?"

"..._No__._"

"Aww but Lelouch... You'll look _beautiful_." Suzaku coaxed.

"Oh _yes_," Nunnally enthused, reminding him with her eyes shining hopefully, "I have yet to get a chance to see Brother in a dress, too. I wasn't able to see again yet, the last two times..."

"No, no, _no, __no__._" Lelouch was adamant. "Absolutely not. I've had enough of -"

Suzaku had started to pout. His eyes grew large, wounded, and pleading. His bottom lip stuck itself out a tiny bit and everything was just enough to make him look exactly like a little puppy with wilted ears and - even Nunnally was looking a little disappointed now.

Lelouch irrevocably decided that he hated puppies.

* * *

And so they were married, a week later, on a lovely, bright and sunny day, with the sunflowers back in full bloom and the birds twittering happily in the trees.

The bride: Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire

The groom: Kururugi Suzaku, his Knight of Zero / Zero

The priest(ess): Nunnally vi Britannia, 100th Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire

The (self-appointed) bridesmaids: Shinozaki Sayoko and C.C.

The honored guests: Jeremiah Gottwald, Anya Alstriem, Marc and Julianna LeBlanc, and Arthur the Cat

Suzaku did remember to get them rings - two simple, silver bands, but the real highlight was the full bridal gown that he and Nunnally brought back for Lelouch to wear, all white and lovely and not too heavy or overly decorated - though it still had little flowers and lace on the egdes... and it was shoulderless.

Lelouch no longer knew _how_ he'd gotten himself into such a humiliating mess, but he was certainly beginning to regret allowing C.C. and Sayoko to dress him up, and was beginning to completely regret agreeing to wear the bridal gown in the first place.

But it was too late. The door was locked, doom had descended, and despite his many, many valiant last-ditch attempts to back out of things - from adamance and fierce refusal, to growling death threats, to even exploiting his state of pregnancy/hormonal inbalance and allowing himself to go close to tears - C.C. and Sayoko were clearly on crack, and he simply didn't stand a chance.

So in the end he was perfectly dressed from chest to toe in the gown, which they'd tightened and secured around his bosom (or lack thereof), with white silk gloves to match and a bouquet of white lilies. A slender, silver coronet sat atop his hair, holding the veil in place, and Sayoko had _insisted_ on some light makeup despite his already fair complexion, to further "bring out your eyes," she said with the most mischievous, evil sparkle in her eye.

The women (those horrible, wretched, inhuman excuses for women) had giggled and laughed throughout, and when they were finally done Lelouch stared at his sullen, defeated reflection in the mirror and sighed miserably. "Isn't the wedding day supposed to be a joyous occasion for the _bride_ as well?"

"Oh, he's finally acknowledged himself as the bride!" C.C. crowed, and she and Sayoko once again erupted into mirthful chortles.

Lelouch took a deep breath and tried his best not to scream or cry. This was for Suzaku and Nunnally, he reminded himself. All for Suzaku and Nunnally, all for Suzaku and Nunnally, all for Suzaku and Nunnally...

C.C. paused to look his reflection over, one thoughtful finger tapping slyly at her chin. "There's still something missing..."

"What now?" Lelouch almost whimpered.

"_Ah_," Sayoko reached for the bouquet of lilies and plucked out a stem, smiling. "Here we are."

"Oh no." Realization dawned on Lelouch and he decided it was high time he started getting up from the chair and _out of the room_. "No no no. There will _not_ be any flowers in my hair. _NO flowers in the hair!_"

But Sayoko held him firmly down, chiding and motherly and still smiling gently. "Now, now, Luluko-sama -"

"_Stop calling me that!_"

There was a knock at the door. "Brother, we're ready!" sang Nunnally's sweet voice.

"Are you ladies done?" Suzaku's voice came next, cheerful and lightly teasing.

"Yes!" Lelouch called back desperately. Anything, _anything_ to stop this madness, even if he'd just answered to the term 'lady' -

"NO!" The women chorused at the same time.

"_They are trying to put __flowers__ in my hair!_"

Outside the room, Nunnally's eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth to hold back the giggle; Suzaku exchanged looks with her and started chuckling. He was going to look _lovely_, Suzaku was sure, but oh, poor Lelouch - he sounded so horrified, and if only he could see the expression on his face right then...

"_Don't_ stand there and laugh at me, _HELP me!_"

Suzaku couldn't help it; he chuckled some more.

"- _Suzaku!_"

"Come on Lelouch... you know I'd be no match against C.C. _and_ Sayoko in this..."

"You _bastard_." Lelouch seethed from behind the door. But then Sayoko was already smoothing back some of his hair and expertly tucking the flower behind his ear, and...

"There we go."

Lelouch gave a thunderous scowl at his reflection, but then found that he looked... less ridiculous than he'd expected to, at least. Sayoko had at least chosen a smaller lily, and it _did_ look... "Oh, fine... FINE. Just _ONE_."

It was C.C.'s turn to chuckle. "Don't look so glum now, will you?" She teased, poking his cheek lightly with a finger. "It's your wedding day, after all."

"Some wedding indeed." Lelouch said bitterly, before gathering up his skirts, marching to the door and yanking it open before they could stop him or do even more damage - and coming face to face with the bridegroom and sister who'd been waiting outside to see him.

And yet despite looking like the most disgruntled bride on earth, he was still utterly...

"_Beautiful..._" Nunnally breathed, her eyes shining with such awe and delight that... Lelouch did feel himself soften and smile a little at her. (All right, so perhaps it was still worth it, somewhat... It was the first time she was seeing him in a dress, after all.)

Suzaku laughed. "See?" He smiled, taking one gloved hand and pressing it lovingly to his lips before leaning in to nose the flower behind his ear and whisper, "You look _enchanting_." Green eyes were warm when he pulled back to look at him again, and Lelouch was unable to stop the color from flooding his cheeks.

"Shut up."

Sayoko and C.C. came up from behind, beaming and grinning with all womanly pride possible at the results of their effort. "All right, veil's up." Sayoko picked up the first layer of the tulle and brought it carefully over Lelouch's face. "Off with you now, loverboy, and you too, Nunnally-sama."

They were holding the ceremony in the garden, before the flowers, and there were small exclamations of surprise and adoration from their little audience as Lelouch finally stepped out in full bridal regalia, fortunately maintaining his now regained composure with perfect grace as he walked slowly over to where Suzaku and Nunnally were now waiting, smiling bridesmaids in tow. (Because dress or no dress, of course everything Lelouch did had to look fabulous.) And no one would have guessed that any commotion had gone on inside the house just minutes ago.

Suzaku himself looked smart in his black coat, as did Nunnally, in her own white and blue dress. By the time he stood before Suzaku, Lelouch found himself looking at him serenely from behind the veil, and, smiling, Suzaku took his hand as Nunnally led them through their vows.

A Knight of Britannia who allowed a royal to claim him for his own often undertook a similar vow - to stay by his royal's side, to lay down his life for him if necessary, to trust him and to put him above himself. Suzaku had sworn thus, on that night when there were no stars in the sky; bound himself to Lelouch and to the culmination of the Requiem. For Nunnally. For Euphemia. For their sins. For the world.

But not this day. Not this day, when their lives no longer needed to be broken by the direction the world needed to take.

On this day they were just two men, they were just two boys - best friends who had loved and hated, trusted and betrayed, lived, and taken, hoped, and despaired - and yet come out of it all, shattered and bleeding but still understanding, still undeniably loving, still _here_, binding themselves to each other once more, giving their lives to each other, for better or worse...

And the world... was mending. And they were... why, they were going to have a _family_, and there was actually _new life_ within him, and Suzaku was smiling with soft eyes, and _everyone_ was smiling, there was just so much joy - when a year ago he would never even have _dreamed_ they would come this far, never even have considered...

Lelouch realized his heart was suddenly feeling so full that his chest _ached._

He forgot about the dress, forgot about the fuss, forgot about how flustered he had been - there was only the rapid pounding of his heart, and a sudden, _overwhelming_ joy... And then Nunnally was pronouncing them married, and Suzaku was lifting the veil and pulling him closer and they were kissing - so softly and gently, and tears were already beginning to slip down his cheeks...

Suzaku looked at him and wiped them gently with a thumb, smiling through his own wet and glistening eyes. "You all right?"

Lelouch nodded, making a hasty, futile attempt to wipe away more tears, and trying not to choke. What was he _doing_? "Ignore me. I just - I'm making an utter fool of myself." This was ridiculous. It was just a simple wedding, and it wasn't as if this was going to start a completely new chapter in their lives, and yet here he was - "I don't know _why_ I..."

Suzaku chuckled and tucked his hair gently behind an ear. "Mood swings, probably." He offered with a benevolent smile and leaned in to kiss him again, murmuring, "I love you, Lelouch."

And it was useless. No longer able to keep the tears from falling, Lelouch wrapped his arms around his neck as a soft sob finally escaped him. "I love you too," he whispered, drawing a soft ripple of _aaawww_s from all their witnesses, save for Arthur, who purred his own approval loudly.

Nunnally smiled at them, tears already in her own eyes, and Suzaku grinned back, then swept Lelouch off his feet and into his arms, as was tradition. He earned himself a small, startled yelp followed by a heated gaze (despite the tears), and they kissed again as everyone laughed and cheered.

And then there was the bouquet - and the young men exchanged knowing smiles before Lelouch flung it... deliberately at Sayoko, who, as intended, caught it out of reflex and stared at it for the briefest, bewildered second, then smiled at Jeremiah as he wrapped a steady arm around her waist.

Anya gleefully snapped a photo of that moment and called for more pictures, and the rest of the morning went by in an almost heady rush. By the time it was noon Lelouch had lost count of how many photos they'd been forced to take - with everyone, with Nunnally, with Arthur, or just with each other in front of the sunflowers - but tired and happy as he was, there was the realization that he was ultimately still a little fed up with one thing:

"Now can I _please_ get out of this dress?"

Everyone laughed again.

* * *

Later that evening as they finally snuggled up in bed, Suzaku wrapped his arms around him and kissed his nose.

"How do you feel?"

Lelouch's smile was soft, contented - the morning's little embarrassing ordeal insignificant now that the reality and the quiet joy of the marriage had had the time to settle in. "We shall have to thank Nunnally for that suggestion." He traced Suzaku's chin. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

Suzaku grinned, moving to kiss him on the lips. "You should wear a dress more often."

"Not a chance." Lelouch responded firmly, though he was still smiling when he returned the kiss, eyes drifting lazily shut.

Suzaku laughed softly, mirthfully, one hand sliding up his arm to clasp his shoulder gently and pull him closer as he slowly deepened it - and Lelouch let him, pressing against him, his feet and ankles tangling with his, breaths warm and shallow when they finally parted.

"...You know we haven't really..." he murmured. "Since..."

"I know." Suzaku murmured back against his lips, smiling and closing his own eyes again.

"Hhm." Was all Lelouch said. But Suzaku felt his smirk, got the message, and chuckled.

It was their wedding night, after all.

And so he kissed him again, long and deep, taking their tongues through a dance and leaving Lelouch breathless and panting slightly as Suzaku began to trail the kisses to the side of his face, grazing his ear with his teeth, feather-light, before he took the lobe into his mouth and sucked. Lelouch had been about to tug down the waistband of Suzaku's pants but gasped, his hand gripping Suzaku's hip and his throat making soft noises of appreciation until Suzaku relented and moved on, kissing down his jawline to his neck.

Lelouch slipped a hand down Suzaku's pants, fingers finding him and stroking deftly as Suzaku undid the first button of his nightshirt to kiss and lick at more skin, his other hand caressing Lelouch's side and back tenderly. Suzaku was about to thumb the second button through when he suddenly hesitated and looked back up, going almost rigid.

"...Something wrong?" Lelouch asked huskily, kissing him again, and Suzaku tried very very hard not to react at the clever flex of Lelouch's fingers in that moment, because -

"...What if the baby knows?"

That did it. Lelouch stopped, drew back, and looked at him as if he couldn't believe the words that had just come out from his mouth.

"What if the baby _what?_"

"What if the baby knows? I mean, I just realized - "

Lelouch almost choked. "The baby doesn't... _won't_ know. How is that even possi -"

"Kid's intuition! You know... how some can always sense things adults can't? Or how they can... _feel_ things when they're in the womb... See, the baby books all say sex is safe during pregnancy, but they never actually..."

Lelouch stared. "You can't be serious."

When Suzaku stared back, eyes wide and dead serious and his expression unwavering, Lelouch opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again - and finally managed with an incredulous, "I don't believe this."

"No, really - I mean, the brain has already started developing, right? What if it's going to inherit your level of intelligence? And -"

"Suzaku are you _out of your mind_? The fuck have you... _The baby doesn't know! _Will you just -"

"But what if it _does_? No one _actually_ knows for sure so I'm just saying -"

Very, very calmly, Lelouch took hold of his shoulders, closed his eyes, and said very, very slowly through gritted teeth, "Suzaku. The baby._ Does. Not. Know_. _Anything._ It _will. Not. Know. Anything._ I am_ barely_ _three months pregnant_. At this stage of development it is _impossible_ for it to comprehend, process, or even _sense_ what's going on outside, and even in later stages, there is _no way_ it will ever perceive the nature of what we're..." He trailed off and opened his eyes to see Suzaku chewing a lip in uncertainty. "This whole theory of yours just isn't _logical_."

"Well I _know_ it's kind of ridiculous but I was only wondering about the chances..."

"_Gods_." Lelouch groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "You know what, forget it. Just - _forget it!_" He reached and frustratedly adjusted the pillows behind his head before turning away in a huff. "I can't _believe_ I actually just _married_ you."

"Okay, okay..." Suzaku reached for him sheepishly, apologetically, planting a kiss behind his ear as he hurriedly attempted to smooth his ruffled feathers. "I said I _was_ wondering. I get it, I get it, I'm sorry... It's just... I just thought -"

"Good _night_." Lelouch said stiffly.

Apparently damage control had been enacted a little too late. "Aww Lelouch..."

"_GOODNIGHT!_"

- END CHAPTER 3 -

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_Yes, I like being mean to them. Poor things. And no, I don't know what Cheese-kun does for pregnant women either. Maybe it has something to do with his wonderful squishiness..._

_And I must say thank you again for favorite-ing and alert-ing, but REVIEWS always remain the most motivating thing for a writer... *HINT HINT 8D* _

_(Seriously though, thank you, and hope you liked.) Next chapter will be up... as soon as I can manage it. PRAY WRITER'S BLOCK DOESN'T ATTACK ME.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_Big thank you to all my readers/reviewers, especially those of you who reviewed every chapter! I cannot express how glad I am that you like my crack. As a reward, an update! And a M rating for a little more naughty stuff in this chapter too. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 4

"There's its head," Julianna pointed at the screen. "And its hands... and here..." She moved the probe to a slightly different position on Lelouch's stomach so the overall image would be clearer, "The feet."

At three months now, things were a lot more distinguishable during the ultrasound scan, and Lelouch smiled as Suzaku, enthralled, let out a soft, "_Aaww..._"

Though still small, the fetus could indeed be easily made out on the screen this time - little limbs and all, and its heartbeat, now picked up by the doppler, was in a steady, comforting rhythm. Warmth filled them both and Suzaku pressed a kiss to Lelouch's cheek, eyes shining as he gripped his hand a little tighter.

Julianna smiled at them. "Do you want to know the sex of your baby?"

"- Wait! Don't tell us," Suzaku cut in excitedly before Lelouch even had the chance to open his mouth. "The baby books said it could be more interesting -"

"Will you-" Lelouch had to keep from scowling in protest. "_Enough_ with the baby books!"

Suzaku grinned, sheepish. "Sorry." A pause, and then, wistfully, "I really think it'll be more fun that way, though..."

Lelouch looked at him and eventually relented, sighing. "Very well." Confirmations weren't necessary anyway, because he was confident his guess would be right in the end (and certainly, absolutely _not_ because Suzaku had developed a certain wide-eyed expression of longing on his face). He caught Julianna's knowing, amused gaze, and managed a dry smile back. "I suppose he does have a point."

The doctor laughed, understanding, and proceeded to make a few more checks on the progress. Lelouch hadn't yet put on a significant amount of weight despite the near doubling of his appetite in recent weeks, though this was attributed to the slim nature of his frame and how the bad rounds of morning sickness were still affecting some of the food intake. The baby was growing healthily, however, and his middle, though still visibly normal, was definitely becoming firmer to the touch.

All was as it should be, Julianna reassured. She scheduled the next month's appointment, and even managed to get in a few teasing questions about how married life had been for them in the past week before finally bidding them well.

...And no sooner had they waved goodbye from the doorway than the debate began.

"So," Suzaku murmured against his neck, hands slipping around his waist from behind. "What do you think it is?"

"Hhm." Lelouch's smile was soft. "A girl."

"Really?" Suzaku grinned. "I'd like a princess, too... but I've got a feeling it's a boy."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow, scoffing lightly. "A feeling."

"Well what makes _you_ so sure? Don't start saying women's intuition." He teased, and Lelouch scowled.

"My predictions have rarely been wrong."

Suzaku laughed, nuzzling the crook of his neck again. "This isn't the battlefield _or_ the chessboard, Lelouch."

"We shall see then, shan't we?" Lelouch gave him a smooth smile from over his shoulder.

"Mmm," It was Suzaku's turn to hum. Even this way he could now feel the difference in Lelouch's lower abdomen under his palms - a gradual firmness which had been increasing over the past couple of weeks and a sign of the life developing within him, slowly but surely. "...I can't wait." He whispered, still grinning.

"To see who's right, or to see when things finally start to show?" Lelouch smirked.

"Hmm... Both?"

Lelouch laughed shortly, tactfully disentangling himself so he could make his way back into the house (and to avoid more fondling before it became a bit _too_ much). "I'm telling you, it's a girl."

* * *

Suzaku wasn't the only one eager for things to progress further. C.C. kept a watchful eye on Lelouch's waistline, often with an evil glint in her amber irises, but days passed, and Lelouch was still the same size he'd been before the surprise had even come upon them.

The morning sickness was fading off, however, and Lelouch still ensured a healthy, balanced diet for himself and the baby even though the appetite changes and cravings still visited every now and then. (It was a relief that none of them turned him off any particularly nutritious food for very long.) As for the occasional mood swings which remained - well... there was always Suzaku. (He made a much, _much_ better Cheese-kun for both good and bad days.)

Married life, as they'd told Julianna, wasn't very different compared to how things had been - the biggest difference perhaps being the liberties C.C. now took with labeling them both "the hardworking husband and the beautiful, perfect housewife." "How quaint," she'd said, and smugly pronounced that they were going to have a household full of adorable little children running around before they next knew it. But things were good, on the whole - Suzaku himself delighted in teasing Lelouch, often asking how his "dearest wife" was every time he returned from the capital, and it was always endearing when he managed to get a blush out of Lelouch despite the latter's attempts to tolerate the affectionate reference with a straight, if not disdainful face.

And then there were the blueberries. Of all the cravings which had sprouted up so far, this one simply had _not_ waned, and Lelouch had developed a fierce love for them, though he'd never once openly admitted this. Not that there was a need to - he could go through four bowls in a day, his favorite flavor of ice-cream was now blueberry, in the mornings there was bread with blueberry jam, and at night, if he woke hungry - or at any time, in fact - a combination of blueberries, yogurt, some cornflakes if he felt like it, and lots and lots of honey made the perfect snack. Suzaku had shuffled into the kitchen in search of him after midnight, once, and caught him in an adorable state of blueberry-yogurt-and-honey-induced bliss; Lelouch had been spooning the second or third scoop into his mouth with the happiest little sound and fingers to his chin and lightly flushed cheeks.

He'd been utterly embarrassed, hastily trying to resume his usual expression of nonchalance when he realized that he'd been seen, but Suzaku had laughed, teased lightly, cuddled him and very thoughtfully brought back three large pots of flowering blueberry plants to add to their garden the next day.

Despite all this, however, the growth of Lelouch's belly still wasn't quite yet noticeable, and Nunnally looked at him with slightly laughing eyes, patting it carefully and gently when she managed to visit again over the weekend.

"It must still be a very small baby."

"Perhaps," Lelouch smiled warmly. "But probably not for much longer."

It was common for a first pregnancy to take a longer time to make itself show, though Lelouch supposed he was a little glad things weren't happening so fast - after all, it was hardly flattering to imagine himself with a bulge regardless of how wonderful Suzaku kept insisting he would look.

But then one day it became a little tougher to zip up and button his pants. It was the same thing with his jeans, and if he pulled one of his more fitting shirts over himself, Lelouch realized that it felt a little tighter around the middle too.

"You're getting bigger," C.C. finally got her chance to sing gleefully.

"Be silent. Your over-eagerness to see it happening is simply creating illusions in that twisted mind of yours."

"Denial. I saw you trying to put on your pants."

And there wasn't even room to ask _how_ she'd managed to do so, because then C.C. began teasing him _mercilessly_, and Lelouch could only scowl and blush and scowl and blush some more. This only doubled her taunting, of course, and eventually he resorted to shutting himself in the room and refusing to come out, until Suzaku returned home that evening, crawled under the covers where he was hiding and fussed and cooed and coaxed and fondled till he scrambled out of bed, red-faced, flustered, and utterly scandalized.

And so there it finally was: the little flowering evidence that he was indeed with child.

Suzaku took to touching the small curve at almost every opportunity, often stroking and cupping it as he rested his chin on Lelouch's shoulder with a little sigh of content.

"Not so hard to believe now, is it?" Lelouch murmured to him with a languid smile as they lay curled up one night.

"Hhm," Suzaku breathed his affirmation, pressing their foreheads together to kiss him softly as one hand continued its caress of the gentle bulge that was their growing child.

_Their_ child. There would be moments where Suzaku would still stop, and marvel with indescribable gratitude at where they were, how all this was even possible - especially after all that had happened... and all that they'd done. Their child was a miracle of their new lives bestowed upon them much like everything else in the past year - the very manifestation itself of how their lives had melded together, half his, half Lelouch's - a precious, precious miracle he had unwittingly fathered and that Lelouch was now carrying within him.

There had never been a thought more humbling and warming, or terrifying and thrilling in his entire life.

Lelouch's fingers rested at the nape of his neck as he returned the kiss, slow and gentle like Suzaku's caresses, and after a moment Suzaku found himself whispering, "Do you think... I'll be able to hear anything...?"

There was a fluttering of eyelids as Lelouch opened them again, smiling as his fingers moved to trace under Suzaku's chin. "Why don't you find out?"

So Suzaku shifted, carefully, and Lelouch moved a little to accommodate him as he slipped the material of his shirt slowly aside. In the moonlight Lelouch's skin was pale, the old scar from the sword wound dark against it but small and less stark now next to the still-gentle rounding of his stomach. Suzaku kissed the scar first, before letting his lips brush across the skin and bestow a feathered, reverent kiss to the womb.

When he finally turned to press an ear gingerly against it, Lelouch's hand was running gently through his brown curls, and Suzaku's gaze upward was met with soft violet eyes.

And there was nothing distinctly baby-related to be heard yet, actually - not by ear... perhaps just the cushion of water gurgling coupled with little noises being made by Lelouch's stomach. He'd just been curious and hadn't really expected to hear much, though, and the smile Lelouch gave him after reading his face told him that he hadn't been expecting anything exceptional either... at least not at this stage.

But everything - _everything_ was still wonderful, and Suzaku smiled back and turned slightly to brush another kiss on his belly. Then he shifted to find a more comfortable position and closed his eyes as he continued to listen. There was a soft laugh from Lelouch as his fingers continued to lovingly stroke his hair, and Suzaku let the low gurgling sounds and the constant motion slowly lull him to sleep.

* * *

"You all right?" Kallen stopped from her cleaning of the Guren momentarily to peer at their reflections on the polished red metal.

Lelouch himself had slept just fine the night before, one hand loosely cradling Suzaku's head, but Suzaku had woken from his own position the next day with a horrible stiff neck and Kallen had probably noticed this when Zero turned to hand Nunnally her cup of tea, his movement less fluid than usual.

Nunnally smiled at him sympathetically but in knowing amusement, and Suzaku afforded himself the slight roll of a shoulder, wincing a little behind his mask.

"Fine. Just a little stiff." He paused and Nunnally's smile grew, her eyes twinkling with laughter. "I... didn't exactly sleep well last night."

Nunnally had chosen to spend her tea break privately with Kallen while she polished and cleaned the Guren in the hangar, so that confidential topics in their common knowledge could still be talked about at leisure, much like what Kallen laughed and said next, almost fondly, "There was a day Lelouch had a nasty stiff neck too, once. I'll bet it was from falling asleep in class again. It's funny... when you think about it now. He could only manage those stupid gestures of his with one hand."

She stopped talking with a caught smile, suddenly staring too hard at a spot which was already gleaming. One fist slowly clenched in the cloth, and down below Nunnally did not sip her tea.

"How do you do it?" Kallen asked softly, finally turning to direct her gaze downward at the two of them. "When I lost my brother I..." She bit a lip, frowned. "But you both... I see you smiling so happily now you... you look like you've moved on so well - even _I_ sometimes..."

Suzaku's gloved hand found Nunnally's.

Back up the top rung of the ladder, Kallen was shaking her head as she flopped to sit on it, one leg hanging casually over with the other drawn up. "How did you do it?" She repeated. "Or... is there actually..." Here she paused, looking at them as if searching for the right words to continue, skepticism and uncertainty laced in her voice."Is there actually something that... See - don't get offended, okay, it's just that I've been thinking..."

But Nunnally had already answered Zero's questioning glance with a nod and a smile. This was the moment they'd all subconsciously been waiting for. Suzaku looked upward, cleared his throat a little, and managed, "I think...you may want to come down from there first, Kallen."

* * *

"I knew it." Kallen gripped the arm of her chair with one hand, eyes wide as she whispered, "I _knew_ it. All this _time_..."

She'd come down from the ladder, as requested, quizzical and brows arched but with her heart thumping a little harder, because maybe - just maybe her suspicion... But then Zero had said nothing else and instead led her and Nunnally straight to his office. Once the doors had been shut, however, Suzaku had taken off both masks, set his hands on the table, and finally managed to look her in the eye and say quietly, soberly - "What would you do... if I told you Lelouch is alive?"

"How... when?" Was all that came out from her mouth once she found that she could breathe again. A fist clenched involuntarily - she suddenly didn't know what to think - but then Suzaku and Nunnally took turns to explain it all - how they'd saved him, how they'd hidden him, how they were living now.

"We wanted to tell you," Nunnally finished softly, "But we didn't at first because we weren't sure how you'd take to the news. But Brother said you'd be ready when you asked - and now you have."

Kallen realized she couldn't blame them. It was an immense risk they'd taken and with the tensions as they'd been a year ago, they couldn't have afforded to have anyone know. A year ago, she herself couldn't guess what she would've done if she'd found out that Lelouch had lived, despite how certain she'd already been of the true nature behind everything that had come to pass.

But the world was on its current path now because of that. Because of what they'd done. Kallen knew this, had known it deep down from the start, and though she'd borne a quiet admiration for the truth, sometimes the knowledge had left her with a terrible ache, because Lelouch was... or Lelouch was _supposed_ to be...

But he wasn't. He wasn't dead, and she'd been right - right to second guess Suzaku's and Nunnally's smiles and disappearances, _right_... And she hadn't realized she would be so fiercely triumphant and _joyful_ at the news that she'd actually be fighting back tears.

"I understand." She finally whispered, and there were smiles on Suzaku's and Nunnally's faces once more.

To think that Lelouch was actually living suddenly made it feel like she hadn't seen her cocky former classmate and leader in forever. Kallen fully understood the need for secrecy on the matter, but then there was the thought of...

And then something else occurred to her and she nearly burst out laughing.

"That was _Lelouch_ on the phone the other time, wasn't it?" She gasped, leaning forward to jab an accusing, teasing finger at Suzaku, who blinked for all of one second and then flushed so hard his ears went red.

"I don't... know what you're talking about."

"Oh Gods. It _was!_" One look at his expression and Kallen was grinning enormously. "It all makes sense now. I _thought_ something had been up with you two, _at least_ when he was ruling. And then you come and tell me you went to the extent of breaking your orders to _save_ him and... _Gods_, you were showering him with such _sappy_ -"

"Okay, okay, yes... That was... uhm. We're..." Suzaku faltered, swallowed, and looked to Nunnally for help, still blushing. He wasn't actually uncomfortable with anything - Kallen's choice of words and her unexpectedly gleeful reaction were just making things a little more embarrassing to finally admit. And Kallen _could_ have figured out the nature of what his relationship with Lelouch had become, but she didn't know that they'd actually even married and _certainly_ wouldn't be aware of Lelouch's... current condition. Suzaku realized he was unsure of how much ought to be broken to her at that moment, but the young Empress simply smiled at him in an indication that it was entirely up to him.

Kallen was already leaning back in her chair, shaking her head but still grinning, though now with a slightly wryer twist. "And some of us wondered why he never seemed that interested in women."

It was a joke, of course; it had been clear to her that Lelouch had at least possessed a measure of care for her, for Shirley, and probably even more so for C.C.. Romantic inclinations, however, had probably always received a much lower priority on his list in light of everything. But then Suzaku... it seemed that, for Lelouch, Suzaku had always been a different case altogether. Kallen had not been privy to the details of their friendship, but it was obvious that it had endured much and ran deep, and there was no telling what they could've been up to during Lelouch's reign as the Demon Emperor.

The thought of it stalled the rest of her musing once again. She really did miss him, that goddamned asshole.

"Can I see him, sometime?"

Here there was something that made Suzaku grin as though trying to hold back a laugh, and he seemed to debate for a moment on something else before he finally nodded. "This weekend, if you like. You can come along with us. ...Oh, and of course -"

"- Make sure no one else is watching my whereabouts, make sure no one else knows, yada yada yada, the whole secret operation drill." She concluded with a smirk.

"...Yeah," Suzaku smiled, and so Kallen looked at both him and Nunnally and grinned.

"Deal."

* * *

Now, after having not seen Lelouch Lamperouge - or rather, Lelouch vi Britannia for one year and thinking that he'd been dead the whole time, the general, expected procedure would probably have been to greet the man with a sort of quiet awe (at the fact that he was alive and standing before you, not at his usual stunningly beautiful appearance) and perhaps even allow yourself a couple of tears at the profound wonder of it all.

This was, however, not how Kozuki Kallen Stadtfeld reacted when she finally stepped into their humble abode that weekend.

For a moment she almost balked and thought that they'd gotten it wrong, that it wasn't actually Lelouch because Lelouch couldn't possibly have... But it _was_ Lelouch - the same, smooth smile, the same striking eyes, the same regal poise and self-assured, uppity air - it was _definitely_ Lelouch, save for _that_, which, Kallen realized in disbelief, could only mean one thing -

"Did you get _FAT?_"

There was a momentary pause, during which Lelouch's lips formed a very calm, very prim smile. "It's lovely to see you too, Kallen." And then he directed that smile toward Suzaku with a very slow, and equally calm batting of eyelids. "I see Suzaku has failed to inform you of a few important details."

Suzaku only grinned. "Well I _was_ going to tell her, but then I realized she wouldn't have believed me. Or at least, she wasn't going to until..."

"Believe what?" Kallen snorted. "That Lelouch got fat?"

Lelouch closed his eyes briefly, inhaling slowly in an attempt to maintain his composure and keep a straight face. "As ridiculous as this is going to sound, I'm afraid _fat_ currently only makes up a small percentage of this." Offended exasperation had crept slightly into his tone despite the light blush which was rising to his cheeks.

Kallen scoffed. "Yeah right. So if it's not _fat_, then what is it?"

A sudden uncertain, almost uncomfortable silence settled upon all of them. Suzaku looked at Lelouch, Lelouch looked at Suzaku and Nunnally, Nunnally smiled, C.C. smirked, Arthur licked a paw and Kallen looked at all of them, frowned and groused,

"What?"

"You're slow, aren't you?" C.C. spoke before the rest of them could, and dropped the bombshell with astounding subtlety. "His Majesty is pregnant."

The joke was so bad and yet so appropriate that the first thing Kallen wanted to do was to collapse with laughter - but then no one else was... laughing. Suzaku had an odd, almost sheepish smile caught on his face, Nunnally herself smiled gently at her when she looked at her, and Lelouch hadn't even snapped at C.C. for that quip, in fact, his _blush_ had only just... _worsened_.

Kallen opened her mouth, took one step back, and after a full ten seconds of gaping, finally uttered a very succinct, "You're _shitting_ me."

...Okay. Perhaps it _was_ possible, perhaps it had something to do with the Geass, that was the _only_ way this could have possibly - but still, this was... this... it...

But then Lelouch smiled at Suzaku, and that glance between them was... and it... _did_ seem that Lelouch had only put on weight around his abdomen, and _so -_

"Sweet Gods above," Kallen almost choked but managed to breathe, "It's a freaking, _gay, YAOI_ baby!"

And then she _did_ explode into roars of laughter, guffawing so hard she had to clutch the back of a chair to support herself.

"_Yaoi baby_." C.C. repeated the Japanese description with mild amusement, sipping her tea with a slightly raised eyebrow and a small smirk behind the rim of her cup.

Suzaku crossed the room to Lelouch, who was now making an impressive variety of offended, frustrated, and embarrassed expressions all at once. He wrapped an arm around him and kissed his cheek, murmuring with a slightly strained smile, "Sorry."

"...I suppose this was coming anyway," Lelouch eventually conceded with his own dry smile as Kallen's laughter continued. Nunnally herself was smiling and shaking her head, fingers pressed to her lips as if she'd almost wanted to laugh as well.

And when Kallen was finally done and gasping for air, it was with a joking, incredulous, "What are you going to tell me next - that you're _married?_"

Somehow this seemed to make the young men stiffen a little and give each other another look. Lelouch suddenly seemed caught in between the decision to hide his left hand or leave it as it was, but of course it was too late because then Kallen realized that without Zero's gloves, which he'd finally taken off upon stepping into the house, Suzaku's own hand bore an identical, gleaming silver -

"Oh... Gods..."

C.C. grinned. "I'll get the photo album."

* * *

"I can't believe you let me _miss_ all that." Kallen stabbed at her last piece of steak and sulkily shoved it into her mouth before brandishing the fork. "That's my only complaint. You held. your wedding. _without me!_"

"Regretful as that is, I am actually grateful that there was one less crazy woman with their merciless hands on me that morning," Lelouch responded evenly, rising to clear their plates from lunch before Suzaku caught his wrist and stopped him.

"No, come on, let me do it."

Lelouch smiled at him and gave in for once, while C.C. smirked. "Besides, if you're going to hold a shotgun wedding without drastic alterations to the dress, you've got to do it fast."

"...True," Kallen grinned in acknowledgment, and Lelouch conveniently pretended to ignore their banter and busied himself with pouring more juice for Nunnally, biting down his chagrin for about the dozenth time that day.

Kallen had collapsed into shrieks of laughter (and supposedly delight as well, but it had been hard to tell with with all that howling going on) again at the sight of their wedding photos. It had taken her another fifteen minutes after that to calm down enough to eventually ask more about the pregnancy - only, of course, to collapse into sniggers and snorts yet again upon hearing the explanation. All things considered, however, Lelouch decided it was still good to see her smiling and laughing again with that unmistakable fire for life still in her, and a little later when he invited her outside for a walk with him she took up the offer without hesitation.

It was easy to talk, to ask her how well things were going with her, her mother, the Black Knights, how different things actually were with Suzaku as a leader in his place - and it was even easier to tease her about what he'd also heard about her relationship with Gino, in return for all the jibes she and C.C. had poked at him and Suzaku over lunch.

Kallen blushed a little and declared the last question none of his business, though it was obvious from the reaction that they _were_ now an item and that she was happy. She changed the topic by jokingly asking if life had become an utter bore for him now that he had only delicious meals to cook, no more battles to direct and nothing to conquer.

"I'd hardly call the approaching joys and perils of pregnancy and parenthood 'nothing to conquer'," Lelouch arched a slender brow, a trace of a wry smirk on his lips, and they both laughed shortly as they turned to look down the little hill they'd climbed at Suzaku, who was now laughing and playing with Arthur and Nunnally by the sunflowers outside the house.

Kallen studied Lelouch, saw the warmth in his gaze as he watched what there was of his family, and she caught the further softening of his eyes and his small, knowing smile as Suzaku paused to look up and smile back at them.

"You really love him, don't you?" She asked softly after a moment.

"He is the first... and only real friend I've had," Lelouch acknowledged, the smile taking on a touch of irony, "even throughout all that happened. But among all the others I knew..." He turned back to face her. "You were one of the hardest to push away."

It was said simply, a matter of fact - and Kallen knew he was referring to the moment in which she'd bid him farewell. Lelouch had been silent then - so silent, and she'd later realized it had all been because he hadn't wanted to drag her down the same path, but of course by then...

Lelouch looked at her now, his vivid eyes perceptive and his smile as charming as she remembered it to be, and Kallen understood that he was actually pleased there was no longer a need for him to hide things from her. With a wry smile back she recalled the trust he'd always placed in her as Zero, and confessed, "It was difficult... for me to walk away, too."

"I liked that kiss, just so you know." A smirk crossed his lips.

Kallen blushed despite herself. "Yeah, but that was while I was blissfully unaware that the stupidly attractive Demon Emperor was already in a sordid homosexual affair with his Knight." She grumbled in mock complaint, and Lelouch chuckled, and somehow that eventually led her to join in the laughter again.

And because he'd never held her in his arms before (_Kallen_ had always been _his_ bodyguard, a woman of iron will who'd never needed any masculine form of support or reassurance from _him_) and because anything else would've been too awkward, Lelouch settled for a soft touch to her shoulder instead, smiling. "It's good to see that you're following my last order... Q-1."

"...To live on, huh?" Kallen grinned, looking like she was trying hard not to laugh again as she took in the sight of his stomach once more. "You bet that little bulge of yours I am."

Lelouch let out another quiet chuckle at her expression. "I'd rather not bet this on anything, if you don't mind." He placed a hand gently on the slowly ripening curve, and Kallen snorted.

"So uh, what is it anyway? A boy? A girl?"

"Suzaku wanted to keep things in suspense." Lelouch's smile was indulgent. "He thinks it's a boy, but I'm certain it's a girl we're expecting. Either way..."

"You're gonna be a couple of mushy-eyed overjoyed parents," Kallen surmised with a roll of her eyes and another grin, and there was nothing much Lelouch could say to disagree.

After a slightly awkward pause Kallen cleared her throat, looking as if she wanted to ask something but wasn't sure if she should, though she finally got out, lifting a hand slightly, "Can I...?"

Lelouch gave a light laugh. "Go ahead."

And so Kallen extended her hand, slowly, hesitantly, till it finally rested on the firmness of the little bump, and she found herself smiling when she glanced up to see Lelouch's eyes, soft and smiling as well in his watchful gaze. As weird as it still seemed, there was life nestled and budding in there, someday soon Lelouch and Suzaku would be parents to this blessed little thing, and Kallen decided she'd say hello and tell it a few things.

"Hey little kid," she greeted softly. "You're a lucky one, you know that? You're going to be born into a world free of war, where people are laughing..." Much like Ougi's and Viletta's child, but this baby, she was sure, was already even more special, especially considering... Kallen grinned. "_And_ you've got two of the most loving, sappy, magnificent gay bastards for parents."

"Watch your language," Lelouch's gaze flicked back up to her with a mock sternness, but then he smiled. "This is Kallen." The gaze turned contemplative, jesting as he lifted an eyebrow, smirking again. "Or would you prefer to be called Godmother Kallen?"

"...Geez, thanks, now I feel old."

"Well then, little one, pay no heed to Godmother Kallen and her foul mouth."

_Asshole_, Kallen started to say, but then checked herself at his warning look and sulkily mouthed it instead.

Lelouch laughed.

* * *

Kallen was staying the night, so after dinner all three girls were able to sit around and talk and laugh for a couple more hours before they finally headed off to bed. Lelouch and Suzaku chose to stay up a little longer, reading on the sofa.

The various literature Suzaku used to bring back for Lelouch to keep him occupied had already given way to the mountain of books on pregnancy, infant and childcare Suzaku had over-enthusiastically hauled back a couple of months ago - some had actually proven more useful and informative than Lelouch had thought they would be and he would spend his evenings slowly going over pages in considerable fascination. Suzaku himself brought a couple with him to study every time he left for his duties, and as Julianna had said, the books were indeed helpful in providing quick answers to certain questions which popped up every now and then.

"When do you think you'll start feeling it moving?" Suzaku mused over the pages of his book with a small grin. "They all say it can happen as early as eighteen weeks."

"I know," Lelouch looked up from his own, smiling. They were speaking in low tones so as not to wake the others and it was satisfyingly comforting to be able to enjoy the rest of the evening with Suzaku in peace. "It's only been seventeen, though. And it's normal not to feel anything up till about twenty-two."

"It says here others may be able to feel the movement by then, too, if they're lucky." Suzaku pointed to a page, still grinning.

Lelouch leaned for a closer look, reaching to flip the page around to the next. He'd been through this book before. "There was something here about being able to hear its heartbeat by ear as well. A little later on..."

"Really? By when?"

"Eighteen to over twenty weeks as well, I think - but again, only if you're lucky."

Suzaku shut the book and bent to place his ear on Lelouch's belly with a playful smile that was unsurprisingly child-like and hopeful. "Let's try that now."

There was a soft laugh. "I'm quite sure it's still too early for that." But Lelouch let him listen, running his fingers gently through his hair like he had when Suzaku had first put an ear to his womb. "...Anything?" He asked after a few moments.

"Mmm... still just your stomach." Suzaku sighed, straightening. He shifted closer then, murmuring wistfully as he slipped a hand around his waist and over the small bulge, "I want to be around... when you first feel it."

"I'll let you know the moment it happens," Lelouch reassured, placing his own hand over his. "Whether you're here or not."

Lelouch's smile was soft and radiant under the glow of the reading lamp, and in that moment Suzaku could only think of how much more beautiful he looked, the gentle rounding of his belly under his shirt singing subtly of the life blooming within. He'd been sincere with every compliment whispered to Lelouch since it had first started to show - and not just because the baby books had emphatically advised making partners feel better about their weight gain.

"You look wonderful," Suzaku whispered huskily again against his cheek, then moved to kiss him on the lips.

It was soft and chaste, but when Lelouch's eyelids lifted sultrily after, Suzaku found himself leaning in again - this time for a longer, hungrier one, cupping Lelouch's cheek, coaxing his mouth open as Lelouch subconsciously pulled him closer with a little sigh.

Happy to comply, Suzaku pressed in further - steady, sensual, passionate, lips moving and tongue stroking hotly till Lelouch's hand fisted in his shirt, a small noise forming in the back of his throat. Suzaku had always delighted in knowing just what to do to draw such noises from him, and he was intent now on coaxing more out of him as he lowered them so that Lelouch was resting with his back on the cushions, sucking gently on Lelouch's tongue and well aware of the answering heat in his groin as Lelouch moaned.

He slid a knee in between Lelouch's thighs and Lelouch parted them for him, hands settling on Suzaku's shoulders as he canted his hips up a little and Suzaku shifted against him.

"-Ah, S-Suzaku," Lelouch's whisper was breathless against his lips, doubtlessly having registered the feel of Suzaku's hardening length against his own crotch. "-Wait." A gasp as Suzaku licked a slow line over the pulse on his neck. "Not here. The girls..."

Suzaku pulled back momentarily to plant a quick kiss on his nose, smiling. "But they're all already asleep..." From Lelouch's abdomen he had already slipped his hand under Lelouch's shirt, caressing his skin as it traveled upward.

"There's still a chance they - _Mnn._" The next kiss had Lelouch arching into him, breath hitching as Suzaku found a nipple and ran a thumb over it, gently._ Sensitive_, Suzaku found himself recalling from the books with fond amusement, laughing softly against his mouth as one of Lelouch's legs hooked over his, hips lifting and fingers digging into Suzaku's shoulders, another small gasp escaping him as -

_THUMP._

"Ow!"

Both young men sprang apart reflexively, hastily untangling themselves and sitting up to look in the direction of the noise, only to find a tangled heap of green, red-pink, and pajamas in the doorway to C.C.'s room, where the door was now _suspiciously_ ajar.

"Clumsy pig," C.C. spat, shoving Kallen off herself. "Now look what you've done."

"Oh, as if _you_ don't get to see something like that everyday." Kallen growled, brushing herself off.

"Well as a matter of fact, I don't, especially now with Lelouch being a moody priss -"

"Ladies," Lelouch's voice interrupted smoothly. "We happen to be quite capable of hearing everything you're saying." His smile was calm and even, though Kallen thought she saw an eye muscle twitch, just barely - and there were tell-tale flushes of pink on both his and Suzaku's cheeks.

"Uhm..." She began. "You're not going to believe us if we said we were just stepping out to get a midnight snack... are you?"

Lelouch's answer came in the form of a raised eyebrow, folded arms, and another, very subtle twitch.

"Dammit." But even then Kallen still had enough guts to grin, "I _have_ to say, though, that was the _sexiest_ thing I've seen two men do in -"

"Yes, well, we'll be going back to bed now." C.C. cut her off and yanked her back into the room before giving them a saccharine smile. "Please feel free to carry on. We're _terribly_ sorry for the interruption." Her own head popped back in and the door slammed shut.

"...They're going to be listening the whole night, aren't they?" Suzaku asked after a few moments.

"I did warn you." Lelouch stood, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear in an attempt to regain nonchalance, still trying to fight down the second wave of blushing which had flooded his face at Kallen's comment. He was only grateful that Nunnally didn't seem to have woken from all the noise, or, god forbid - happened upon their little heated encounter.

"So I don't suppose..."

"Well." Lelouch gathered the books into a neat pile before the corners of his lips turned up in a subtle smirk. "If you still want to..."

Suzaku chuckled and got to his feet as well, giving him another quick kiss as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "You _can_ manage without making too much noise, right?"

Lelouch scowled, yanked him by the collar to kiss him again, then pulled him into their room and turned out all the lights.

* * *

Lelouch, Suzaku had long since learnt, always had a backup plan for just about anything. Inevitably there were one or two smart comments from Kallen and C.C. over breakfast, but Suzaku had a good feeling that the lack of further teasing had very much to do with how Lelouch deliberately kept Nunnally close by and smiled very, very sweetly (too sweetly, to be exact) if either one of them made so much as another peep about things. And a too-sweetly-smiling pregnant Lelouch wasn't exactly something Suzaku would ever wish upon anyone.

Nonetheless there was still sufficient reason for Kallen to have enjoyed her weekend visit, and she left with a grin and a spark in her eyes that said she was already looking forward to the next time. They'd decided to let her inform Gino of the whole situation as well, provided discreetly and if she wanted to - since Gino too had since figured out who Zero really was, and believed in what they'd done. Kallen gave them the assurance that the knowledge would stay safe with them both (in her own words, that she would Radiant Wave Surge him with the Guren a million times over if he ever opened his golden mouth to anyone else) and that they would both be there to share in the happiness with them when their bundle of joy finally arrived.

Meanwhile, the days continued to pass, and it wasn't long before Lelouch was forced to sit in front of the sewing machine with a few pairs of pants and old jeans, snipping off the top portions - zippers, buttons and all - so that he could attach a more stretchable, roomier material in their place. As planned (and much to his relief) the altered pants were comfortable, made way for more growing room just fine, and hence effectively negated the need for any maternity _dresses_.

Under his careful nurturing the blueberry plants were also bringing in their first fruit, plump and juicy, and it wasn't difficult to see that soon there would be enough from their garden alone for delicious pie to be had by everyone.

It was while cooking lunch one afternoon that Lelouch suddenly went still, the spatula slipping from between his fingers and clattering onto the pan as he stood, stunned for a full two seconds.

"_Suzaku_." The whisper finally made it out of his mouth, hoarse, and Suzaku, who'd been dicing the vegetables at the counter, was by his side and holding his shoulders in an instant, frantic with worry.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong? What's -"

Lelouch's only response was to lift the bottom of his shirt, then grab Suzaku's hand and press it to his belly. "There." He said softly. "Right there."

At first there was nothing. There was nothing for a good few seconds, in fact, but then Suzaku felt it - the lightest, _faintest_ tickle against his palm, just for the smallest moment - and his eyes widened as he looked to Lelouch, who smiled at him, violet eyes now warm and shining knowingly.

Speechless with delight Suzaku pulled him into his arms from behind, and they exchanged quiet, enthralled gazes as Lelouch let himself lean a little against him, placing his own hands over his. Everything else ceased to exist in that moment, there was only each other, and the first, wonderful recognizable movements of their child, and -

"The pasta is burning," C.C. said helpfully.

Lelouch gave a little yelp, Suzaku let go of him in equal alarm, and they both jumped back into action to rescue the lunch.

Still, it wasn't enough to stop Suzaku from grinning at Lelouch like an excited little child himself for quite awhile after that, and when C.C. tactfully left them to do the dishes he slid his hands back under Lelouch's shirt and over his middle in a warm caress, arms once again encircling him from behind.

"It hasn't moved again yet, has it?"

"Not yet," Lelouch's laugh was light as he dried off the plates with a towel. "Nothing else I've felt, anyway."

Suzaku pulled him closer with a curious whisper. "...What _does_ it feel like... from the inside?"

Lelouch smiled. "Like... a butterfly," His eyes softened further as he seemed to recall the moment, "Fluttering."

It was enough to make Suzaku settle his chin on his shoulder with a dreamy, wistful sigh, and so Lelouch smirked a little at him. "Since you seem so eager to get a proper taste of all of this, shall we devise a way for _you_ to get pregnant the next time?"

"...I wouldn't mind that, you know," Suzaku confessed, grinning, and when Lelouch raised a highly skeptical eyebrow he insisted truthfully, "Really!"

A pause then, as he realized, "-wait... So we _are_ having more kids?"

Lelouch let out something in between a scoff and a laugh. "I'd like to actually get through with this one first, please."

He stepped away to keep some of the plates and Suzaku picked up the towel and continued drying off the rest of the dishes, smiling as he watched him. Despite Lelouch's words Suzaku was certain that getting through parenthood would be little trouble for Lelouch, at least; Lelouch had always borne a softer, motherly side which few actually got to see but could shine like the sun in spring.

Perhaps it had been all the years of tender caring for Nunnally in Marianne's place, but even when younger, when they'd first been abandoned in Japan right after losing their mother Suzaku had realized that despite his slight frame there was a remarkable inner strength within Lelouch that loved, protected and provided for his sister not unlike what a mother sparrow did for her young.

Having lost his own mother when he was very, very small, Suzaku had spent most of his growing years without the genuine motherly care most children were fortunate enough to receive - but had longed for it enough, at times, and still been discerning enough to recognize it when he'd seen it. When one of the chicks on the farm had wandered too far from the brood, Suzaku was the one who'd caught it but it had been Lelouch who had returned it to its family with delicate, gentle hands and a careful, studious eye which had inspected it for any injuries. When there'd been a runt in the cat's next litter Lelouch had rescued the kitten, taken it aside and nursed it meticulously to proper health, and it had even grown into Nunnally's favorite playmate among all the animals. And Suzaku's younger self had watched all this with fascination and an unconscious admiration for the boy's capacity to care, especially for the young and the weak.

Seven, eight years later Lelouch's actions had seemed almost contradictory, fueled by vengeance and a long-nursed hatred, but even then - ruthless and unfair as Suzaku still felt some of those actions had been - even then love had been in the picture as well; almost everything Lelouch had done had been for Nunnally, and Suzaku was only glad that they'd still been able to right some of the resulting chaos in the end. Love, when Lelouch gave it, was a powerful, powerful thing, and Suzaku had no doubt about the kind of mother Lelouch would make or the strength already in his love for their unborn child.

"You're thinking." Lelouch's smirk indicated the tease that said thinking wasn't something Suzaku did very often. He'd returned to the counter and was leaning against it slightly, studying him with the violet rich through half-lidded eyes.

Suzaku smiled. "Yeah,"

"And what of?" Lelouch's breath was soft against his lips.

"Of how far we've come," Suzaku murmured back indulgently, fondly and then kissed him, and acknowledged, not for the first time, that they couldn't possibly ever ask for more.

- END CHAPTER 4 -

* * *

_Expect updates to slow down because I return to school next week and things are going to be hectic. And I'm still trying to work a few things out for the remaining chapters, so wish me luck, heh.  
_

_Reviews make me happy! (And motivated!) Go on, just a few words can't be that hard, right? :D  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you all for the generous reviews! Keep them coming!_

_You may find this chapter a bit more serious than the rest, but I hope the fluff is still worth the wait! We should be back in business with more lighthearted silliness in the next one._

* * *

Suzaku was humming. It was a soft, happy tune he was making up as he went along, though it wasn't something he was doing while carrying out the housework, or while tidying his office as Zero - at least, not this time.

Instead, he was on the bed (as he'd been for the past twenty minutes) with his lips pressed gently to Lelouch's abdomen, laughing every now and then as the vibration from his voice seemed to produce a subtle reaction from within. It had been a month now since they'd first felt the fetus move. With Lelouch being naturally slender, it had become easier to pick up its movements each time and Suzaku had recently discovered, while kissing Lelouch's stomach with a hum of content one night, that the baby appeared to _like_ what he was doing.

It stirred again, now against where his palm was resting on Lelouch's navel, and Suzaku gave another mirthful chuckle at the response.

"Haven't you had enough for one night?" Lelouch looked up from his book with a small sigh, though he was smiling as well, not unkindly.

He was reading with the pillows propped up behind him, and Suzaku pressed another playful, musing hum to his skin. "Hmm... What about you, little one? Have you?"

There was another movement - this time, what felt like a little punch or kick. Suzaku grinned.

"I think it's getting annoyed." Lelouch went back to his literature, still harboring a smile behind the pages. The baby was definitely already capable of recognizing voices from the outside, and while he couldn't be absolutely certain of what it was feeling, Suzaku had been 'playing' with it for awhile now and its initial, seemingly delighted tickling back was turning into more pronounced actions, which, Lelouch thought affectionately, were considerably strong for its age, though not quite hard enough yet to be causing him much discomfort -

Suzaku laughed softly against his belly again and there was a sudden, tiny bump within his womb which made both of them start and look up at each other in slight alarm.

"What was _that_?" Suzaku asked, eyes wide just as there was another little pulse-like sensation - and another - and Lelouch closed his book with a thoughtful frown and sat up further, one hand braced on the mattress as the other smoothed over his belly.

"It... feels like..." The tiny spasms continued, one after the other, noticeable to both him and Suzaku but not violent, almost like a small, rhythmic...

Lelouch realized what it was and almost laughed. "It's hiccups... it's hiccupping."

It had never happened before and Lelouch chuckled at the way Suzaku's expression melted as he let out the most adoring, "_Ahwww._"

Within moments Suzaku had bent to nuzzle his stomach, cooing softly away while the little one continued hiccupping inside him. Due to the not inconsiderable reading it was known to them both that hiccups were normal and in fact a good sign of growth, and Julianna had also had nothing but positive comments during Lelouch's fifth month check-up not too long ago - so it wasn't a cause for worry - but something seemed to occur to Suzaku then and he looked up again, a little anxiously.

"Do you suppose they're uncomfortable?"

Lelouch smiled in reassurance. "They can't be much worse than a normal bout of hiccups." Suzaku was suddenly looking adorably over concerned, and Lelouch leaned forward to brush a kiss against his forehead with a low chuckle. "I'm sure it'll settle soon enough." He smoothed a hand comfortingly over his stomach again as the baby hiccupped twice more, marveling and warming inwardly at the intricacy already in the small life within him. "There now, my little one."

The baby moved around as if trying to get out of its little dilemma, and Suzaku gave Lelouch a small smile before spreading both hands over the curve and stroking it gently as well, pressing a kiss to his belly in an attempt to soothe.

It hiccupped again and Lelouch continued the caressing, finding himself smiling almost sympathetically. _There, there_...

The baby stirred a little more - and then there was a sudden flurry of movement and Suzaku's eyes were widening again as he asked in laughing surprise, "Was that a..."

"A somersault. Yes, I think so." Lelouch grinned. They exchanged smiles and Lelouch gave his belly a soft, pensive rub. There was nothing more in the next few moments, and slowly it began to feel like the baby was finally settling down. "I think they've stopped."

Suzaku smiled and kissed his tummy once more. "Maybe we should let it rest."

"I'm not the one who's been disturbing it all evening," Lelouch gave him a pointed smirk, lightly reprimanding, but decided to reward Suzaku's sheepish look with a soft laugh and a kiss as the latter finally straightened and shifted closer to him.

"Maybe we should all get some rest." There was a yawn coming on and Lelouch had difficulty stifling it, but then there wasn't a need to say anything else.

Suzaku smiled warmly, kissed him again, adjusted their pillows and reached to turn off the lamp, and before long they were curling up together under the covers, the rounding curve of Lelouch's stomach nestled into the inward curve of Suzaku's waist, safe and snug between them.

Suzaku buried his face affectionately into the crook of Lelouch's neck and breathed in the scent of the hair at his nape.

"I love you, Lelouch."

"Mhmm. I love you, too."

* * *

The growing weight of the baby was starting to put a strain on Lelouch's back at last, and maintaining grace was becoming an issue for him sometimes when getting up or sitting down, but Lelouch generally managed this with slightly slower and more careful movements. Fortunately Suzaku was also around often enough, returning from work in the evenings as much as he could to attend to him loyally with his usual showers of affection and now, back rubs - oh, the _back rubs_. Suzaku was a fast learner and as much as it embarrassed Lelouch to admit it, Suzaku was capable of coaxing long moans and sighs from him with every massage and the way his hands slowly and deftly relieved the tension which had been subtly building up in his muscles over the day. Suzaku of course found this all very amusing and massages were often littered with loving chuckles and teasing ("There? Harder?") - and it was only unfortunate that shoving him away would result in the interruption of his very, _very_ effective attentions.

Suzaku loved to listen to his belly frequently now too, besides humming and talking to the baby, and at times he was already able to hear its heartbeat by ear alone. It was the same tiny, rapid rhythm they'd both been able to listen to using Julianna's stethoscope on her latest visit, but Suzaku still whispered with vivid, shining eyes every time, describing and mimicking the sound to Lelouch with soft noises and an enthralled smile while he pressed an ear to the skin above his womb.

Slowly Lelouch's belly had grown from a gentle, protruding pout to a steadily rounding thing, and the baby was becoming increasingly active, its kicks and movements growing stronger and more distinctive with each passing day. Lelouch was now usually able to sense if it was in a wakeful moment or asleep, and on some nights it was beginning to get a little more difficult to fall asleep himself with the little one happily doing acrobatics inside of him the whole time. But every movement - even the hiccups which now came occasionally - was still a charming reminder of the tiny life he was carrying, and at times Lelouch found that his own heart would still flutter in response when it stirred. It appeared to like his voice as well, often responding with seemingly contented wiggles when he spoke to it, or was just speaking to anyone in general.

Being pregnant was certainly not something he'd given much thought to before, much less imagined himself as, but with the experience now actually upon him and his acceptance of it Lelouch had quickly realized that it was far more than what biology and even the baby books could ever impart. There weren't words which could perfectly describe how it felt to be an expectant mother, or how tiring yet rewarding some side effects could be, how the thought of bringing a new life into the world sometimes frightened or sobered... and least of all the immense love and responsibility one could already feel toward the life within.

Vaguely he remembered the look he'd sometimes seen on his own mother's face, when she'd been pregnant with Nunnally and gazing out across the palace gardens - and Lelouch wondered if there were moments now where he looked the same, a warmth he'd never quite felt with anything else blossoming within him each time he caressed the unexpected gift nestled in his abdomen.

Marianne had been a good mother - strong, loving, warm, and kind - even Cornelia had looked up to her greatly and there was still a hollow ache in a part of Lelouch at the thought of her, of her and his father, what they'd truly chosen in the end and how he'd been forced to...

But that had all passed now. Qualities that had shone in the mother Marianne had been to him - in the mother he'd striven to take the place of while younger and looking after Nunnally - Lelouch kept in his heart, and there wasn't need to look back at anything else. They weren't their parents or what their parents had become, they would never be, and he'd reassured Suzaku as such one night, upon the latter's slightly troubled confession that the thought of being a father still worried him sometimes.

"You're not the man your father was." Lelouch, knowing the meaning behind his words, had whispered to him in the dark after giving him a silent, fierce kiss - and that had been enough.

Suzaku had a good heart, and a warmth and love earnest beyond measure; Lelouch himself knew his own heart and what it was capable of, and though there was still a little anxiety that came with the thought Lelouch was certain that raising a child was going to be more rewarding than harrowing for the both of them. And they'd been blessed... blessed to be given a little one to bring up in a world now out of conflict, though even in danger Lelouch knew there was already enough love in him and Suzaku both to make them willingly give their lives for their child, if necessary.

"Marianne would be proud to see you like this, you know," C.C. remarked with a smile one afternoon as Lelouch stood, observing the growth of the tomato plants with one hand rubbing gentle motions up and down the curve of his belly.

Lelouch gave a distracted hum and his female companion smirked from where she was sprawled out lazily on the grass.

"Being kicked again?"

"Relentlessly," Lelouch acknowledged with a sigh. He reached down to prune a few leaves, his other hand moving to support his back lightly as he stooped, and the baby protested this change in his positioning with a wriggle, a somersault, and another kick. "I swear it's like Suzaku doing spin kicks in there." Lately the baby's favorite movements had involved exactly that - turning a half or full somersault followed by a playful kick in whatever position in had spun to, and while this was both heartwarming and amusing Lelouch was beginning to wish it hadn't chosen to pick up such a trick while still inside his womb.

C.C.'s eyes twinkled with something close to laughter. "I think my day's just been made."

Lelouch managed a tired smile in return and patted his stomach as the baby kicked him again. _Just a moment, little one. At least allow me to get some work done._

He trimmed off a couple of overgrown branches as C.C. watched him with bemused silence, and Lelouch stopped after a moment to see her smiling.

It was clear that she'd been having the most ridiculous fun, especially now given his and Suzaku's current situation, but C.C. was also clearly content where she was, with all of them, and if he had to Lelouch would admit that despite all the harassment and teasing, it was always a good thing to see that quiet, genuine glow on her face every now and then.

"C.C."

"Hm?"

Lelouch set the clippers down, smoothing a hand over his belly again as he decided to voice the question he'd been meaning to ask for some time. C.C. had said she'd remain by his side till the end; of this Lelouch had no doubt, but then... "Eventually Suzaku and I will disappear from this life, too. After that, what will you..."

"Oh, I don't know." C.C. rose to her feet with an idle smirk. "Watch over your children and your children's children, and their children's children's children, I suppose. Until the world falls into conflict once more and someone needs the Geass again. Or wants my 'ability to have babies'." Here she grinned pointedly and Lelouch found himself smiling again - this time in silent understanding.

"_The Power of Kings makes people lonely,_" C.C. had mused the familiar line aloud to him once on a lazy afternoon, eyes lifted to the sky and the same, new smile on her lips. "_I suppose that wasn't quite true, was it, Lelouch?_"

And her words now - as lightly as she'd just said them, carried with them a steady reassurance and confirmation. C.C. was happy. No longer lonely - and no longer afraid to live.

And so, satisfied with her statement as well as with his work on the plants, Lelouch decided to relieve the baby of the supposedly cramped positioning and get to his feet as well. He was in the middle of doing this when the weight caused something to go slightly off in his usual elegance and center of balance, and C.C. caught hold of him, laughing shortly as he swayed a little.

"Careful!"

Lelouch laughed as well despite his embarrassment, steadying himself, and then there was a moment where both of them paused, looking and smiling warmly at each other.

"I love you too, you know," he said softly, reaching to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

C.C.'s amber eyes were warm and twinkling. "I know, Lelouch." She murmured. "I know."

* * *

Work was, Suzaku supposed, in its own way a blessing. Granted, Lelouch was never far from his mind, and with him already in the early stages of his third trimester Suzaku found a growing reluctance to leave his side each time, but as Zero, there was much quiet happiness to be found as well.

Within the year that had passed almost everyone had found joy and a certain peace again - it was evident on their faces despite the many different projects and agreements they constantly had to work on.

Seeing his homeland being restored, his people with life in them again - knowing that it was what both he and Lelouch had envisioned when they had first set out on this path... They were all moving forward. That was reward enough.

Gino, having been told the news upon his return from exploring South America, took it well despite not having the chance to see Lelouch just yet. Kallen had managed to make him believe her somehow and he was already winking and clapping Suzaku good-naturedly on the back when they ran into each other, sometimes even with a teasing, hinting question or two provided no one - or at least, no one who would suspect much - was watching.

There was indication, of course, that those among the higher ranks in the Black Knights also had a good sense as to who their new leader really was and what the Zero Requiem had truly been for. They knew better than to press anyone for anything, however, and only went as far as to raise mildly curious eyebrows whenever they happened to notice Kallen and/or Gino shooting pointed grins at Zero.

But then a certain day came where the Black Knights were solemn, somber - brought to the memories of the battles they'd fought and of their fallen comrades. Most would never forget the date, and on the third anniversary of the Black Rebellion, Suzaku and Nunnally, too, took a moment aside in honor of one who'd borne so special a place in both their hearts.

_Euphemia. Euphy._

There were still times - many times - when Suzaku would remember: the radiant smile, those bright, bright eyes, the gentle touch of her hands which had always spoken so much.

As a symbol, Zero had no business here, but as the person, as the boy whose heart the princess had won - Suzaku did. And now, exactly three years from the day she'd been taken from him too soon, he watched as Nunnally laid their flowers at the foot of her grave.

They were the only visitors in the whole of the royal graveyard.

A handful of other royals who'd died in Japan during Britannia's rule had also been buried here, and, like Lelouch's, the headstone of Euphemia's grave was simple. Just a name, the royal title she'd held as princess, the years she'd lived.

There was nothing - no inscription on the exact cause of her death, no defamatory words on the Massacre Princess or the Genocide Princess - a name which had instead lived on the people's lips and memories until Lelouch had, in all megalomaniacal glory, replaced it with his own.

Suzaku had adored Euphemia. Loved her, even - though he'd never thought himself worthy of such an angel's love in return - loved her so much, and he'd been so angry, _so very torn and angry..._

But then so much had changed yet again. Lelouch had shown no remorse, had never said he was sorry, though Suzaku had known for a long time that he was. And when they'd made the choice - the promise of the Zero Requiem... Lelouch had finally revealed everything.

In the end it had still been Lelouch's fault - how she'd died, _why_ she'd died. But it had been the cause of a single most tragic, unfortunate mistake, at a time when the Geass had simply been undoable. And though Lelouch had used this to turn things to his advantage back then, though it had been difficult at first, Suzaku had, at last, come to -

Nunnally touched his gloved hand and Suzaku came out of his reverie to realize that a silent tear was already making its way down and wetting the black cloth over his face.

"Brother loved her very much, too." She murmured quietly.

The look in her eyes became distant, soft and sad as she turned back to gaze out over the graveyard. Suzaku gently squeezed her smaller hand in return.

"I know."

" _'The dead won't come back no matter how much you cry for them.'_ Isn't it so?" A voice came from behind them, almost so suddenly that Nunnally let out an audible gasp of surprise.

Cornelia li Britannia stood, leaning against one of the decorative stone structures, arms crossed and a dry smile on her lips. "That was what Lelouch said when Queen Marianne, his mother, died." Slowly she uncrossed her legs and made her way over to them, her eyes seeming to find Suzaku's even through the mask. " _'Right now we should be concerned for those still with us.' _"

Finality rung in her words and at that look, Suzaku realized in one mind-numbing moment that _she_ _knew_.

She knew Lelouch was alive.

There was a certain fear that sparked through him; he felt it in Nunnally's grip as well. Fear, fear for Lelouch, for their unborn child... Dimly he recalled Lelouch saying once that Cornelia was the biggest risk they were taking, because Cornelia was discerning, shrewd in her own way and though she would probably have understood, there was still the small chance that she wouldn't trust.

"Your Highness -" Suzaku's throat was dry when he finally spoke, and Nunnally's echo of "Cornelia... Sister, I..." was tentative, laced too with a sudden anxiety.

"Don't worry," Cornelia smiled again then, half a smirk this time as though she was explaining something to small, ignorant children. "I haven't done anything and I won't." She stepped forward to her full sister's gravestone, sobering a little at the sight. "Your secret is safe with me. The rest obviously aren't as sharp and don't possess enough authority to have figured out the things I did."

Relief, first, though some of the wariness remained, and then another few moments before Suzaku found himself able to speak again, carefully. "How long have you...?"

"Known? I sensed something amiss during the funeral. I know my family well enough, and I'm not as blind as some of the others, Kururugi."

Cornelia knelt before the grave. "I know what it was you were trying to do. I'm going to say it's commendable." There was a pause then as her fingers traced the date of death inscribed, her voice quiet. "But there are still some answers I wasn't able to find."

The former princess turned to look at him. "You were Euphemia's knight. _And_ my brother's best friend."

Suzaku understood then that confirmation was what she was seeking. He swallowed and nodded, solemn. "I... told him to lie, till the very end." And Lelouch, he recalled, had played the part perfectly. "But in the end..." In the end Suzaku had still recognized the look in his eyes. In the end, when Lelouch had finally bared the truth to him... "He never did give that command to Euphemia on purpose. It was an accident."

Cornelia's eyes softened for the briefest moment, before she gave a satisfied nod and stood. It was all she'd needed to hear.

"He wouldn't have." She looked ahead resolutely, but for once there was the slightest waver in her otherwise firm voice. "He loved her too much. As did everyone."

Nunnally reached out to her elder half-sister, soft and understanding. "Cornelia..."

But Cornelia simply gave her a reassuring smile, and clasped Suzaku steadily on the shoulder. "I trust in what all of you did. Keep an eye on him. But tell him... that if he somehow decides to reappear to wreak havoc again," she grinned, though more in jest than anything else, "I'll have his head."

She turned to leave, then, and Suzaku and Nunnally watched her go, exchanging looks as they did so. Nunnally smiled, and it was small, but relaxed.

It didn't seem like Cornelia wanted or needed to see Lelouch anytime soon, and she didn't appear to be aware of the other details either. It was inevitable now that she would find out the rest, someday, but after seeing how she'd accepted everything else Suzaku was certain that when the time came there would probably only be a reaction of horror and momentary disbelief, followed by laughing and the strange, guarded kind of fondness Cornelia always seemed to give.

There would be time for that.

* * *

Later that night and back home, Suzaku entered their room to find Lelouch standing silently by the window, violet eyes lifted toward the stars.

It wasn't difficult to guess what - or who, was on his mind.

"...It's been three years." Suzaku finally murmured after a long moment.

Lelouch's affirmation was quiet. "Yes."

Another pause of silence, as Lelouch finally looked back down, and then -

"I'm sorry."

It was the same regret which had been hidden in his eyes from the very beginning. The utterance of it was long overdue, but then it had never quite been needed in the first place, and brought with it a recollection of memories and emotions instead.

Things were different now, from the time Lelouch had first told him the truth - back then there had been other, higher concerns, back then there had been time only to press relentlessly forward without once looking back - not at their childhood, not at the loved ones they'd lost, not at all the ways in which they'd wronged each other.

"So am I," were the only words Suzaku could find beyond a whisper.

He moved to encircle him from behind, slowly, one hand coming to rest warmly over Lelouch's now well-rounded belly as the other tilted his head gently toward him. Suzaku kissed him softly and Lelouch made a small noise in his throat as he leaned against him and into the kiss, somewhere in between a tired sigh and one of content.

In many ways Suzaku supposed it could have been different. Things could have turned out so differently; he could have remained Euphemia's knight, married her, even, maybe, if she'd asked him to. And yet ironically it was still Lelouch in the end, still Lelouch - himself stained with blood, himself capable of monstrosities - still Lelouch who'd looked to Suzaku and understood, loved him for all that he was, _despite_ all that he was - the boy, the man, the murderer, the traitor, the friend.

And now... Suzaku found a smile as he pulled away, green eyes warm and voice soft. "But... I'm glad we're still here."

Lelouch laughed softly. "Glad we're still here, moving forward into tomorrow and into the new things in life which await us?" One slender eyebrow arched pointedly as he smirked. As if on cue there was a particularly solid kick or punch, right under Suzaku's palm - and Suzaku chuckled against Lelouch's neck as the latter made a slight face.

"Yes."

The answer caused Lelouch to smile in return, however, and Suzaku kissed him again, this time on the cheek as the hand on his stomach caressed it lovingly.

Another moment had passed before Suzaku chose to murmur, "Cornelia knows."

It was both a trifle amusing and utterly heartwarming to see that Lelouch's first, instinctive reaction was to place a hand protectively over his belly, over Suzaku's own hand and over the baby as he stiffened and turned to look at him, though he kept his voice steady. "How much?"

So Suzaku told him, of the day's events, of the encounter with his sister and of all that she'd said.

When he was done Lelouch had settled himself down on the edge of their bed, his smile half-fond, half-dry, and affirmative, knowing. "I did suspect something like that would come from her, eventually."

In a sense there was also triumph, and relief, because it meant that the last uncertainty which had been growing at the back of his mind had at last been settled. Cornelia had looked for the truth and found it - and hadn't doubted their intentions or attempted to persecute them, as he'd both hoped and calculated. She'd been sensible in this and they were safe, and consequently there was no reason for his half-sister to bear ill intention toward their child whenever she would find out about it, either.

Suzaku gave a small smile back, settling down beside him on the mattress, and when he touched a hand to his back Lelouch leaned gratefully into the signal, allowing steady fingers to begin working out the knots from the day.

"I think... many among the leaders understand now too, actually." Suzaku mused as he massaged. "Now that the world is as it is."

Lelouch smiled. "They would... _Oh._" Suzaku reached a particularly effective point and he was unable to help the soft gasp at the relief and pleasure spreading through his tired muscles. "Right there... mm."

Suzaku dutifully focused his attention on the task at hand, centering on the identified spot on Lelouch's lower back and using the heel of his palm to rub it in slow, firm circles and strokes. Lelouch closed his eyes, and soon found himself having to bite back an embarrassing moan.

It was... very, very good.

"Gods... Suzaku -"

"Don't stop?" Suzaku suggested with a playful murmur, smiling against his ear.

"-You - _insufferable -_ You're supposed to help me _relax,_ not -" Lelouch could do no better than a frustrated hiss at the teasing image, only to arch helplessly against Suzaku's hands again with the beginnings of another moan as the rubbing continued.

Suzaku was laughing, voice soothing. "Okay, okay..." Eventually the movement of his hands evened out, spreading expertly, soothingly over the rest of Lelouch's back and the areas which usually ended up with larger aches. Suzaku kept from teasing him further, his touch constant and calming, and by the time he was done Lelouch had gone almost limp against him, eyes half-closed in content.

Suzaku kissed the side of his head, then got down and shifted to start work on his feet.

All Lelouch could manage when he realized what he was doing was a soft, chiding, "You fuss too much over me."

But he didn't have the heart to stop him, and when Suzaku cradled a foot, pressed a kiss to his ankle and looked up with a smile that said it was merely all part and parcel of going through this _together_, the baby fluttered within him as well and Lelouch found himself smiling warmly back.

Suzaku ran a thumb soothingly up and down his sole, musing again with a tilt of his head, "Do you miss the city?"

"Sometimes, yes." Memories of all the days spent in the Tokyo Settlement, at Ashford, skipping class with Rivalz to gamble the hours away came flitting back, and there was a fondness which stirred within him at the thought. Life at home here was peaceful, simple, reminiscent of their childhood at the Kururugi shrine, and in general they had everything they needed, but there were times when Lelouch would still find a small longing for the sights and sounds he'd spent almost all his teenaged years with. "But this is the life we chose, isn't it?" Lelouch looked at him with mild interest. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... Nunnally and I kind of figured you'd still miss it, a little... so we were thinking of a way to take you back, just for a day, and C.C. had this excellent idea..."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes a little. "And just what might that be?" If _C.C._ was involved, then there was bound to be some sort of devious catch somewhere.

Suzaku leaned forward, clearly excited to explain this wonderful plan even as he began massaging Lelouch's calf. "Well we all know that anything that requires you to walk around with me while I'm dressed as Zero is too risky, because it'll draw too much attention. But... you're obviously expecting now, aren't you, and the last thing _anyone_ is going to suspect is that Emperor Lelouch is alive and is now a pregnant lady strolling down the streets in broad daylight, by her husband's side. It'll just be the two of us. It's perfect. I mean... I've already got my own disguise that I use when traveling, and Nunnally's managed to get hold of some of your mother's dresses, I'm sure they'll fit you fine -"

"-No."

"But it's just for a day. It'll be like the school's reverse gender festival again. You could wear a wig, and we could get you some other contacts and even a voice changer, just to be safe..."

Lelouch shook his head, almost wanting to laugh at how carefully they seemed to have thought it through. And it was sweet, in a way. He wasn't too happy with the part that involved the dress, of course, but it was a valid idea which deserved credit. Then again... "I don't doubt how convincing a disguise like that would be, but we'll be putting ourselves in far too unpredictable a situation."

Suzaku seemed to understand exactly what he was referring to and smiled. "What if I say I've arranged for Kallen and Gino to follow and watch out from a distance as back-up, too?"

Lelouch actually considered this for a moment. "...Suzaku, even then... if the worst should happen - say if a premature labor is somehow triggered while we're there - public attention will be on us right away, I may not be in a condition that will allow me to use the Geass, let alone think straight, and the LeBlancs obviously won't be the nearest form of help."

"Oh Lelouch," Suzaku started laughing.

"I'll agree that the odds of that happening are next to nothing, but have you thought of something like that?" It was indeed a highly unlikely scenario, of course, but Lelouch convinced himself that he was just... trying to be prepared for everything.

Suzaku grinned. "You're just making up excuses because you don't want to wear a dress."

"...I am not."

"Yes you are. Come on, don't you want to see how everything's changed in the past year? And... you know we're going to have to look for baby furniture and everything else sooner or later anyway."

There was a point in that. It wasn't as if Lelouch hadn't considered other options - there were always catalogs, for one, but browsing through those things was going to be nothing compared to the opportunity to survey something they intended to use for their child first-hand. Gods knew if Suzaku would even place the correct order anyway, if things were to be left to him, or if he wouldn't end up buying up the entire shop instead in his excitement.

And... Lelouch _was_ also going to need at least a couple more shirts soon enough - most of what he had was getting too tight around the middle now and Suzaku, who wasn't very different in size, didn't have any spares which would be roomy enough for the later months either. And then there were clothes for the baby, bottles, blankets -

Suzaku sat back on his heels, placed his hands on his own knees and looked up at him, eyes twinkling. "Of course, I guess I _could_ always go shop for those myself..."

Lelouch looked at him, closed his eyes, took a deep breath - and decided that perhaps he was going to have to wear a dress again after all.

* * *

"I look..." Lelouch stared at himself in the mirror, not too many days later. Eyes wide, and now blue with the lenses, coupled with his now flowing hair, he looked almost... "Like my mother." He finished softly.

Marianne's eyes had been just as vivid, though rounder, and she'd had fuller lips often defined with a little more color, but in essence - and especially while clothed in one of her favorite blue maternity dresses, the reflection that stared back at him was a fair reminder of what she'd looked like while she'd been carrying his sister.

Suzaku, his own eyes now hazel brown and hair a reddish blond, came to stand next to him, smiling as he kissed his cheek. "You look beautiful."

The dress matched Lelouch's now-blue eyes perfectly, light and flowing around his feet, its sleeves long and of a lighter material still, but slit open such that there was free room for arm movement and such that they became part of a simple but graceful design instead. Lelouch had certainly made a lovely choice from among the few dresses they'd brought back.

C.C. had helped them obtain the suitable contacts to cover Lelouch's Geass (blue versions of the violet ones Lelouch normally used), and she'd also very delightedly helped Lelouch to "fill out his chest" - just a little, and so that the outfit sat even more convincingly and naturally on him.

Lelouch sighed and shook his head, still somewhat embarrassed at how he looked and not quite used to the alto, though decidedly more feminine voice when he spoke.

But the voice patch was working splendidly. The male bass had disappeared, the sound gentler and deceptively female, but Suzaku could still clearly make out the tone, the richness, and the smooth quality that was essentially Lelouch's.

"Looking good, Your Majesty," Gino grinned when they finally met him at the doorway of the house. He and Kallen had dropped by so they could begin tailing them from the start of their travel to town - and Lelouch tried to ignore the fact that the first time the former Knight of Three was seeing him after the Zero Requiem was while he was dressed as a beautiful pregnant lady, and instead mustered up the most dignified, ladylike smile he could as a form of practice.

"Thank you, Weinberg."

Kallen had to clap a hand over her mouth to cover up a bark of laughter at his voice. "I'm sorry," she choked, having trouble holding it in as it all came out in tiny snorts and giggles instead. "I'm sorry, this is just... too weird."

"Well, you can thank C.C. for her handiwork and also for this... _ingenious_ scheme which I have somehow been cleverly manipulated into." Lelouch glanced pointedly toward the grinning witch and the 'husband' by his side, petulant but with the trace of a reluctant, already defeated smile, and Suzaku smiled in return, slipping an arm gently around his.

"I told you they were unbelievably sappy," Kallen nudged Gino with a grin.

Gino grinned back. "Well then, my Lord... and Lady, shall we?"

* * *

C.C., who already visited the city as and when she liked, was content to stay at home as long as there was the promise of more pizza, and Nunnally had to attend to official matters, so it was indeed a couple's outing for Lelouch and Suzaku - though of course, with the addition of two capable escorts always a safe distance away. They'd stopped at the outskirts of the city and Kallen and Gino had fallen back to let them wander ahead first, so as to follow them without being too conspicuous to the public.

The park here had been one of those left untouched by the FLEIJA warhead when it had landed, and its greenery and landscape was only all the more beautiful now. In choosing to set foot in it first, however, Lelouch had also a definite purpose.

_"If we're going into town," _he'd told Suzaku softly when he'd first agreed to the plan, _"then there's also one more thing I'd like to do."_

Here there was a graveyard, bathed in gentle sun, and there was someone he'd never gotten the chance to say a proper goodbye to, till now.

_Shirley._

There were so many things he could have done, or not done, so many other ways he could've tried to save her - from Mao, from the Geass, from his own foolishness which had caused everything, but in the end love had both saved and killed her, and though her death had set him down a path he hadn't looked back on till he'd lain close to his own, Lelouch hadn't forgotten.

Suzaku, gaze somber, stood beside him while he knelt, and Lelouch closed his eyes.

There weren't words he could say, nothing he could do now to bring her back, but there was something he wanted to give, and he wondered what Shirley would think if she saw them now - him visiting her grave dressed in such a manner, a child in his womb and Suzaku by his side, both their lives started anew...

And in a moment of clarity, Lelouch realized that she'd be smiling.

As if in affirmation the breeze caressed his face lightly, the grass dancing, and Lelouch found the words he'd been looking for.

Slowly he pressed fingers to his lips, then touched them gently to the headstone.

_Thank you._

For everything. For showing him. For loving him when she hadn't known the truth and even when she had, and for being part of the reason why he was where he was on this day. It was a silent murmur but it was enough, and Suzaku smiled a little back at him as he helped Lelouch to his feet, one hand steadily supporting his waist and the baby's weight.

And beside the flowers - because the other grave was not here and because he knew she'd have wanted him to, as a sign of forgiveness from him and her both - Lelouch left a little folded paper bird.

For the boy, the little brother who'd wounded her in misunderstanding, but had also only been trying in all his own earnestness till the end.

_Rolo. Thank you, too._

* * *

The whole place had a calming feel; flowers were blooming and the birds were chirping distantly in the trees, and so they decided to walk through the rest of the park to get to the town center. Their stroll was pleasant, undisturbed, and by the first few minutes any apprehension Lelouch still had about returning had almost all disappeared.

Suzaku kept a tender hand on his back and kept him close, looking smart and also cleverly disguised with a coat draped over one arm, and a black hat that not only went well with his shirt and vest but helped to shade his face partially from view. Lelouch had always been the slightest bit taller, but the difference was hardly noticeable even while next to each other like this (in fact, Suzaku looked taller with the hat) and they looked exactly like a picturesque but ordinary couple enjoying their late morning walk in the park.

On a weekday there were fewer others strolling by, and those that did smiled warmly in greeting at the lovely-looking pregnant mother and her husband; Britannian gentlemen touched the tips of their hats if they had them and Suzaku would return the gesture with convincing elegance.

"Are you warm, dearest wife?" Suzaku asked after awhile, tenderly but with a playful smile, and Lelouch decided to indulge him in the banter, allowing Suzaku to draw him closer and curling his arm a little more around his as he gave him a soft smile in return.

"Warmer for having you by my side, dear husband."

They shared a quiet chuckle, and then Suzaku appeared momentarily startled - it seemed Kallen or Gino was saying something to him through the little earpiece which had been fitted in one of his ears. Since they'd only had one of those things and Suzaku was the one wearing the communication device, Lelouch reacted quickly, focusing on keeping their pace calm and unhurried and trying not to tense unnecessarily before he knew what it was.

Then he became aware of footsteps behind them, brisk, approaching fast and not at all the footsteps of someone who was taking a similar leisurely walk.

"I'd recognize that pretty face _anywhere_, reverse-gender or not." Before he had time to react, that someone had grabbed his wrist from behind, and Lelouch turned to see two people that weren't Kallen and Gino - but every bit just as familiar.

Milly Ashford grinned triumphantly, Rivalz Cardemonde running up close behind her.

"_Lelouch._"

- END CHAPTER 5 -

* * *

_Slight cliffy for once! There'll be no one else finding out after Milly and Rivalz though, because I think that's quite enough people to handle. And I am sorry about the spin-kicking baby, I just couldn't resist. (Actually no, I'm not sorry. Sorry Lelouch xD) _

_Some additional notes:  
_

_1. The lines containing "Are you warm" and "Warmer for having you by my side" have been paraphrased from a scene in Chris Wooding's __The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray__. It is a splendid book, by the way, and I do recommend it._

_2. VOTING! I am interested to know what gender all of you think the baby is, so tell me in your review if you haven't already, and I'll count it toward the final tally! I may not change my mind, of course, since I already have a name picked out and everything, but it'll still be interesting to see what everyone's guesses are. (OR, if you want, I've now got a poll up on livejournal, so if you have an account there and would like to delight yourself in pushing buttons: _community. livejournal code_ geass/1599149. html_ - take out the spaces)  
_

_3. And yes, don't forget to leave a review. I do read and love them all, even if I don't always reply! Next chapter should be up within another 2 months or so if I can manage it._


	6. Chapter 6

_102 reviews! You guys are __**awesome**__. Please keep them coming! I hope to break my personal record in terms of review count by the time this ends ;Db_

_Meanwhile, sorry for the delay. I got stuck mid-way with Milly and Rivalz and decided that I'd rather stick with the supposed "canon" situation so __**PLEASE NOTE **__that I will be referring to and making certain assumptions based on the last Picture Drama of R2 (Turn 25.01 - I believe it is still available on youtube right now if you want to search for it). You probably don't have to watch it to understand - do note however that Jeremiah, as mentioned in the clip, has also already canceled Charles' memory-rewriting Geass that was on the student council members (i.e. Milly and Rivalz) here :P I've since added this info to chapter 1 as well in a minor edit._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 6

By the time he turned around, Suzaku was being forced to acknowledge that it was indeed too late to do anything. Kallen had been quick and precise with her warning but Milly had been quicker still - Lelouch was already face to face with their former schoolmates and knowing Milly, there was no way she was going to let either of them go now without an explanation.

Of _course_ she would've recognized Lelouch, she'd been the first person to have put him in a dress in the first place, _how_ could he have overlooked -

Suzaku swallowed, vaguely aware of his hold tightening protectively around Lelouch's waist as his mind raced. Granted, they _were_ Milly and Rivalz, who were their old friends, who _could _probably be trusted, who _did_ have their proper memories back, which _would_ make explaining things to them easier, but - But then Lelouch's hand on his arm gave it a steadying touch, and Lelouch was smiling, smooth and of the utmost calm.

"Hello, President."

"...I'm not dreaming." Milly hardly seemed perturbed by the more feminine voice exuding from him, though her own tone had softened to a murmur as she looked perceptively at them both. "It really is you. Both of you."

"President," Suzaku began -

"President!" Kallen and Gino were now hurrying over in a jog, causing Rivalz to turn and blink in further surprise.

"Kallen. _Gino_."

"Well well well," Milly smiled at them. "You too, huh? Seems we've got ourselves quite a little reunion here."

"Milly, please, it's... not what you think -"

"It's all right, Kallen." Lelouch cut her off reassuringly. "I think we can trust that the president will do us no harm - at present, at least."

That much was true. Other than surprise, Milly and Rivalz hardly seemed alarmed about their presence - and Suzaku relaxed a little further, remembering again how Nina had discreetly explained some of the things the two were confused about upon getting their memories back. When Suzaku had last seen them proper at the reopening of Ashford Academy Milly and Rivalz had both appeared to understand what Lelouch had truly done as well - and it'd seemed like they missed him, too.

Perhaps there really was nothing much to worry about after all.

Meanwhile Milly was grinning. "Everyone's going 'President, president, president.' You'll have to be more specific now, you know?"

Rivalz beamed, a little proudly. "I _am_ the current student council president, after all."

"So I've heard," Lelouch exchanged a meaningful smile with Suzaku.

"Mm-hmm." Milly huffed a light breath and settled her hands on her hips, direct as ever. "Well then, since we seem to have broken the ice so nicely... Are you going to tell us what's going on?" There was a knowing twinkle in her eyes as she looked at them. "Nina's told us quite a bit, but she certainly didn't mention that you'd still be... _alive_, of all things."

"That would depend on how far that information is going to circulate," Lelouch's smile was smooth again, almost a smirk. "Especially considering the fact that you're still with the media." It was said lightly, and his own eyes were composed - but they were also subtly assessing her intentions, and Suzaku knew that Lelouch was only taking extra precaution with his trust.

Backup - in any situation of course, the Geass was always the backup, reluctant as he and Lelouch both were to cast it on others again...

But Milly met Lelouch's testing words head on, fearless with a grin and a flip of hair over her shoulder. "Fear not, Your Majesty, I'm on my day off. Means no bugs, no broadcasting equipment, nothing. Nada. Zilch."

"Now that I can vouch for," Rivalz added, now grinning as well. "The day off thing, that is. We were going for a date, actually -"

"Oh hush, Rivalz." Milly waved a hand to shush him, not unkindly. "The point is... we definitely wouldn't have approached you like that if there were other eyes on us." She said softly, turning back to them. "We know."

Suzaku saw her meet Lelouch's gaze meaningfully, recognized the outwardly expectant but quietly understanding smile on the face of the former student council president - and felt Lelouch slowly and completely relax in his hold.

Milly and Rivalz could still be trusted after all.

And as old friends, maybe they did deserve to have things fully explained to them too - now that it had come to this.

Gino stepped forward a little jokingly. "Shall we frisk them just in case?"

"We'll want to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves, Weinberg." Lelouch smiled, warmer this time and genuinely at ease, and beside him Suzaku found the warm beginnings of a smile as well. Lelouch turned to look meaningfully at him, voice soft. "...I suppose we can give old friends the benefit of the doubt."

The baby stirred within Lelouch, underneath his palm that was still half-resting on Lelouch's belly, and Suzaku grinned.

"We might as well."

* * *

To the passersby, they simply looked like two couples engaged in friendly conversation. Milly had found all of them a comfortably shaded, slightly more secluded area with benches, and Kallen and Gino bought ice-cream and settled down not too far off as well.

"What do you already know?" Lelouch had first asked. An understanding of Geass and how it worked was going to be needed to explain the answers to certain questions their two friends were bound to have - and though Nina, Lloyd, and Cecile had all been aware of his Geass while they'd been assisting him, what they'd known hadn't been extensive. Lelouch had been happy to hear that Nina, at her own discretion, had helped Milly and Rivalz to understand things, and he was agreeable that they were worthy of trust - Milly for instance, despite all her outward frivolity, had kept many secrets well before. Still, Lelouch also believed that Nina would've been wise enough not to give away every single detail too quickly.

"Not that much, actually," Milly admitted, confirming his guess. "After Sir Gottwald brought our old memories back, Nina did fill us in on things, but... not all of it." She pursed her lips. "What she said about you was that you possessed this ability to enforce obedience, which was how you'd risen to power so easily." She paused, her smile small. "And of course, that both you and Suzaku had known everything you were doing from the very beginning."

"That it was all part of your plan to bring things to where they are now," Rivalz added, leaning forward and looking like he already believed it wholeheartedly but wanted to hear it from Lelouch all the same. "It's true, isn't it?"

Lelouch smiled. "I can't say it isn't."

And so he and Suzaku briefly explained what else he felt they needed to know - from how he'd received the Geass and what it was, to his masquerade as Zero, to why the student council had aspects of their memories rewritten after the Black Rebellion, to what had really happened with Shirley and Rolo, to what they'd originally planned for the Requiem and how Suzaku had saved him instead, at the last minute - and why.

"...Whew," Rivalz let out a breath when they were finally done, blinking as he took it all in. "That's... well. A lot more things definitely make sense now." He gave them a slow, wry grin. "I never wanted to believe that it was my old buddy Lelouch Lamperouge doing all the stuff you did, you know, but at first..."

"Well, the idea _was_ to convince the world, wasn't it?" Milly pointed out. She'd been listening raptly throughout and was now grinning a bit as well. "We were confused at first too," She admitted, then paused, pressed her lips together and murmured softly, "But even then... after Nina shared the truth with us, after everything... there were still missing pieces. With Shirley, with Rolo, with what you did - and there were no answers... till now, that is."

At her mention of Rolo her eyes had turned a little sad. Lelouch had admitted Shirley's death as an accident on both his and Rolo's parts (which was true) and explained how Rolo had later given his life to save him - and for Milly and Rivalz, who still loved him as part of the student council even after finding out the truth, and who'd been wondering what had happened to him the whole time, the confirmation of his loss was still grim.

"We're sorry about Rolo," Rivalz echoed this, soberly, and for a moment Lelouch exchanged a look of quiet regret with Suzaku as well, both remembering full well all the tragedy which had been brought about in the aftermath of the first FLEIJA attack.

"I know."

"But well," Milly whispered, clasping Rivalz's shoulder and smiling a little. "He did a very, very noble thing."

Rivalz smiled back. "Yeah... at least there's that."

"I'm sorry not everyone was there to watch the fireworks like I promised." Lelouch's own smile was rueful, but then Milly managed a grin.

"Nonsense. I'm sure they were watching from somewhere too. And we had a pretty good reunion at Ashford that time anyway, didn't we Rivalz?"

"We did," Rivalz affirmed, smiling again. "You still kept your promise, in a way."

"And... all's said and done... it _is_ good to finally hear the full story from both of you." Milly sat back and looked at Lelouch and Suzaku again, a satisfied shine and the spark of exuberance slowly returning to her eyes as she spoke. "And to see you both alive, of course - what's more, looking so _lovely_ together too." Here she gave a pert little smirk that was quintessentially Milly, the spark now fully returned, and Lelouch and Suzaku shared a smile between themselves, both blushing lightly.

"I actually feel compelled to give you credit for your disguise," Milly was continuing, scrutinizing their outfits once again with a finger to her chin and eyes still twinkling. "If I hadn't put Lelouch in a dress myself before, I wouldn't have taken a second look at you at all."

Suzaku gave a small laugh. "Trust you of all people to have recognized us."

"She _is_ President Milly." Rivalz grinned. "So... what are you two doing out here anyway? I thought you said you were in hiding."

"Mhmm. Well whatever it is, they've clearly thought it through very well." It was Milly's turn to lean forward now, eyes flickering down to study Lelouch's abdomen with a playfully curious tilt of her head. "...From escorts to the notion that no one would suspect the Emperor is now a pregnant wife... it's not just some plain old cushion, is it, you've obviously done something to make it look so realistic..." She seemed to be reaching out to touch it before she hesitated halfway, looking at him questioningly instead.

Lelouch allowed himself another smile. "It's... not completely a disguise." He exchanged another look with Suzaku, who smiled knowingly, and in that moment as the baby moved inside him again Lelouch made a simple decision.

"Would you like to give me your hand?"

Milly's eyebrows quirked at his even smile and his own gracefully outstretched hand, but she gave in, curiously, and let him place her palm gently right over the area where the baby was kicking.

There was a second's pause. Milly's eyes shot wide as she looked up at him - "You're not - " and in the next instant she was grabbing Rivalz's hand as well to place it on the same spot.

Poor Rivalz appeared very, very puzzled for a moment - until he felt it too. And then he only did a very natural thing.

Slowly, slowly, Rivalz turned to gawk at Lelouch's serene smile, at Suzaku, at Lelouch's tummy, then back to Lelouch again - and promptly and very neatly passed out.

* * *

It took about twenty seconds - plus Kallen and Gino hurrying over to help - to get Rivalz awake again. Milly had caught him before he toppled right off the bench, laughing her head off, Suzaku went into a state of embarrassed, flustered panic as he leaned over and tried to wake him with a flurry of, "Oh Gods, sorry, _sorry!_ It's - it's not like that - I mean - well... it _is_ probably - But... I mean - oh gods..." - and poor Lelouch himself was having trouble trying to look as though he'd anticipated all of it when he actually hadn't quite foreseen such a reaction from Rivalz either.

Fortunately Kallen managed to cup some water from the nearby drinking fountain and sprinkle enough on Rivalz's face to startle him back to consciousness, after which Rivalz could only blink, stare at Lelouch again, and splutter, "You're - you're _really_ a woman?" Which of course got everyone laughing again as Lelouch swallowed and tried to maintain his composure despite his blush.

"Certainly not. At least... not quite." He bit back a sigh, then gave Milly and Rivalz a slow, simple explanation of how they'd met with the unexpected side-effect of the Geass - which the two fortunately seemed to take quite well after a few moments, owing to the fact that they'd both undeniably been able to feel the baby earlier. And Suzaku was only too happy to help announce what the current situation was as well:

"So we're out as 'husband and wife' to do some shopping, you see, for baby stuff."

"_Husband and wife_, eh?" Milly was highly amused at all of this new information, blue eyes twinkling impishly once again.

Rivalz blinked. "Wait. Does that mean you're..."

"Yes," Lelouch sighed - audibly this time - but smiled a little as Suzaku affectionately intertwined a hand with his left one. "With thanks to Nunnally, we did indeed get married."

"...Well." It took a moment's pause for the fact to really sink in, but when it did Milly was reaching up to dab at her eyes with a soft murmur. "Isn't all that just wonderful?"

As usual she was playing up the drama, but her smile was genuine, and slowly Rivalz began to grin as well. "Yeah... Yeah, I think it really is, actually."

"Seems everyone's always delighted to see you both so happy," Gino commented jovially from next to them where he and Kallen were standing, and Kallen grinned back at him as he looped an arm around her shoulders.

Suzaku gave Lelouch's hand a little squeeze, still smiling, and Lelouch smiled back once again as -

"CUT, CUT, _CUUUT!_" Milly suddenly declared loudly, clapping her hands together. "All right, enough with the mushy sappy sobstory moments!" Her eyes were now very, very bright and deviously eager, and Lelouch, Suzaku, Rivalz and Kallen had all had enough experience by now to recognize that they were all doomed. "Now, we really don't have any more time to lose if you're here to do some _serious_ shopping."

"Just a minute, president -" Lelouch tried to begin before disaster struck, but it was too late.

"- Count yourself lucky because you've run into the perfect person for the job! Milly Ashford is going to bring you around and make sure you get the retail experience of your _life_ - pre-natal style." And then she looked at all of them and grinned. "It's a _TRIPLE DATE_!"

And well, there really wasn't much else to be said after that. When one dealt with Milly Ashford, one generally learnt that there was no way one could disobey orders once she'd made up her mind - and even more so if Milly Magic (TM complete with sparkles) was in employment. (In fact, when it came down to it, it was probably just as powerful as Lelouch's Geass.)

And so by the sheer power of Milly Magic alone, Lelouch and Suzaku (and therefore Gino and Kallen as well, as their escorts) were whisked into town - despite Lelouch's repeated attempts to decline help and protests that it wouldn't be necessary - and dragged around more than ten malls and over two dozen stores to look at baby clothes, baby products, baby furniture, and of course, maternity clothing. Rivalz, good-natured as he was, was only too happy to be spending time with old friends, and even Kallen gave up grumbling about all the running around and seeing only boring baby stuff as she merrily joined Milly in picking out "exquisitely ladylike" maternity blouses for Lelouch and forcing him to try them on, purely because of how entertaining his reactions always were.

By the end of the day, they'd gotten everything they needed (plus a few more elegant but more feminine blouses which Milly had insisted they buy as well), and it had still been enjoyable with everyone's laughter - seeing the sights of the Tokyo Settlement again, looking at the wide range of baby _everythings_ (some of which they hadn't even known existed before) with their little one in mind - but Lelouch was, to put it mildly, _exhausted_.

"You've really wiped him out this time, President." Suzaku remarked laughingly when it was finally time to say goodbye, taking another look at Lelouch's face and wrapping his arm a little more securely around him for support.

"All in a day's work," Milly grinned. "But it's worth it, isn't it?" She looked to Lelouch, who managed a tired but admitting smile back.

"I'll settle for 'rewarding enough'."

At this she gave a triumphant chuckle, but then smiled, voice softening. "It's been wonderful seeing you again... really. And don't worry - we wouldn't dream of telling anything to anyone else."

Lelouch nodded as an indication of his trust. "Thank you. For all you've helped us with today, too."

Milly laughed lightly. "Oh, any time, and you know it." She reached out to clasp his shoulder briefly. "Take care, okay? And let us know when the baby arrives."

"We'll come to visit," Rivalz added with a grin.

"We will," Suzaku promised warmly.

And so finally, after thanking Kallen and Gino for their help as well, they were able to head for home. And the first thing Lelouch did upon stepping in was to slip off his shoes, peel the voice-change patch off his neck, and then sink into bed, rolling onto his side with a soft groan as he rubbed the hollow of his back. Carrying the weight around the whole time with hardly any rest had been an arduous task and his back had, in fact, been protesting sharply ever since the second half of the day.

Suzaku was quick to climb up alongside him, taking over with tender hands and a comforting nuzzle. He'd been helping with little rubs along his lower back while they'd been walking, ever since he'd first noticed Lelouch rolling his knuckles against it and wincing - still, it was always more effective like this, with Lelouch pliant against him so his hands could do their work.

"Are you still glad we went?" He murmured as he rubbed steady circles into Lelouch's back.

"Mhm." Lelouch made a weary sound of acknowledgment, eyes already drifting shut. "But we are never doing that again."

Suzaku merely chuckled and planted an affectionate kiss to his neck. He was still kneading the stiffness out of Lelouch's muscles when Lelouch reached behind to bring one of his hands slowly forward to his belly, voice soft. "Feel that?" His eyes were still closed but Suzaku could sense him smiling a little. "It's at it again."

Sure enough there was the little spin of a somersault, and then a kick, and then another spin, and kick, kick. Suzaku grinned into Lelouch's shoulder, stroking the curve of his stomach with a thumb. "Oh, little one."

He'd warmed with both wonder and quiet pride when Lelouch had first brought his attention to the baby's imitation of his own combat habit some weeks ago; it was a strangely heartening thing but it also made Suzaku a little more nervous with excitement each time - and sheepish, knowing the discomfort it sometimes caused Lelouch as well. "Come on now," he coaxed, still speaking to it as he smoothed his palm gently up and down the bump. "I'm sure Mommy's already had enough activity for one day."

Lelouch laughed a little, which seemed to trigger more feather-like whirls of supposed delight from within, and Suzaku smiled, eventually sliding his hand back to continue massaging till Lelouch was nestling his face in the pillows with a long, quiet sigh.

"...By the way," Suzaku murmured teasingly against his ear after a few moments, unable to help himself, "Are you really planning on staying like this? Because if you are, I honestly wouldn't mind you know."

Lelouch opened his eyes with a small start, seeming to remember only then that he was still fully dressed in a wig and women's maternity wear - but was already too tired to do anything beyond giving a frustrated groan into his pillow.

Laughing, Suzaku kissed him again below his ear, then lifted him despite his startled protests and carried him into the shower for a nice, warm and long bath together.

* * *

The new clothes seemed to fit Lelouch fine, allowing for more space around his middle without looking too baggy on him. Aside from the simple blouses Milly had picked out Lelouch had mostly gone with more sweatshirts and stretchable tops, the material cozy and soft to the touch whenever Suzaku was nuzzling or caressing the growing mound of the baby.

And then there was a day when Arthur decided he _absolutely __did not want_ a bath, which resulted in an overturned basin, a soapy floor, and one very soaked, very scratched up Suzaku - while Lelouch stood observing the mess with the back of his hand perched on his lower back and a distinct scowl of disdain on his face. Suzaku took one look at him and almost laughed aloud despite the situation, because in that moment it had never been clearer that even with the protruding tummy, the way he had to support it, and everything else that supposedly came along with weight gain in pregnancy, Lelouch _still_ managed to make himself look downright fabulous.

Lelouch, seeing his expression, frowned a little. "...What?"

So Suzaku told him - and Lelouch simply sighed, rolled his eyes, then tossed him a towel with a flourish and a smile which Suzaku thought only further proved his point.

Kallen had made a teasing comment during the outing however, on how Lelouch had begun taking on the fabled doe-eyed look often associated with pregnancy, and Suzaku was discovering that it truly hadn't had anything to do with the blue contacts on that day after all. Though his expressions and mannerisms remained classically Lelouch, Lelouch's eyes, to one who knew them well, had indeed become a little softer, a little wider, a little more delicate. It was a subtle change, noticeable only if one looked a second longer, but coupled with the hint of a rosy flush that all the increased blood circulation was bringing to his pale skin, Lelouch looked perfectly (and unintentionally) adorable sometimes - even while scowling or peeved - and well, as long as Lelouch wasn't busy being pissed, it always made it tempting to snuggle and kiss even more.

Lelouch was still having it easy with the excess weight gain, too. Julianna mentioned how envious she was, and they were all beginning to suspect that Lelouch's middle was indeed the only thing that was ever going to change significantly in size throughout the entire pregnancy. Meanwhile the baby simply minded its own business and continued growing at a healthy pace.

Its increasing weight, though, was starting to make it rather suffocating for Lelouch to lie resting on his back, and soon this was hardly possible for him. Even while on his side, gravity would now seem to pull the small bulk of everything downward, and neither Lelouch nor the little one found this very comfortable - so they fluffed up a few extra pillows, and Lelouch never slept now without one or two tucked snugly on either side of him, to help prop up the weight regardless of which side he rolled to. The whole sight of Lelouch sound asleep in a mountain of pillows in the morning only made leaving for work even more difficult for Suzaku, though thankfully enough, he and Nunnally were already making arrangements so that he could be home more often as the due date drew nearer - and during the months that were to be the baby's first few, plans were already in place for Zero's complete absence; Nunnally herself was making time for more personal retreats as well.

But while Suzaku was gone there was always help, once again, in the form of Sayoko - she was there often now, since there were certain tasks Lelouch couldn't quite carry out anymore due to his condition (or, as became Suzaku's favorite overprotective excuse, the risk of overstraining his back). Sometimes, even while Suzaku and Nunnally were both around, Sayoko would be there too, not only lightening the workload but teaching the parents-to-be some valuable lessons beforehand.

Lelouch could cook, sew, and look after an invalid Nunnally perfectly, right down to cutting her hair, but caring for a baby wasn't quite the same thing and he hadn't the experience Sayoko had had while working for the Ashfords. Suzaku of course was no different, and Sayoko had them take note of and practice a number of things, from the appropriate temperature for bottled milk, to the proper way of holding and bathing a young infant, and so on.

Kallen wanted to help prepare for the baby's arrival, too. Suzaku returned home one day with two very "thoughtful", as she claimed, presents from her: the first, a brand new frilly, frilly pink apron, not unlike the ones Milly had made the boys wear in the kitchen during their school days, and the second, a comprehensive guidebook on knitting baby wear, complete with balls of pastel-colored yarn and two new and shining knitting needles.

"She has," Lelouch raised an unamused eyebrow when he saw the gifts, "a remarkable sense of humor."

But perhaps it was all just as well, because a week later the old apron tore (but _of course_ it had absolutely nothing to do with C.C. being bored and picking up the nearest cloth object to wave in Arthur's face for a little fun) - and eventually, restless from not being able to do much while Sayoko was monopolizing the housework, Lelouch found himself taking out the book, the yarn and the needles - just for a little experimenting, of course, since he didn't exactly have anything better to do besides setting chess puzzles for himself...

"_Remarkable sense of humor_, huh?" C.C. smirked when she came out to the living room and caught him already halfway through a pair of baby booties, yarn all over his lap and a look of deep concentration on his face as he frowned at the book's instructions and absently shooed Arthur away from his precious handiwork yet again.

"Shut up."

C.C. just laughed.

* * *

"We still need to think of a name," Suzaku murmured to Lelouch from beside him one afternoon, one arm wrapped around him so his hand could caress his belly as they admired the sunflowers from the porch. There was a strong breeze that day and the plants were swaying subtly, happily to and fro in the wind.

"I've been playing with a few ideas." Lelouch informed him, then raised a brow with a slight smile. "Don't tell me you want to name it after a flower."

Suzaku laughed softly, not surprised at how he'd made the link. "Just a suggestion." He kissed his cheek. "If it really is a girl." He turned back to look at their garden for a moment, musing, "...I think something to do with the sun, or a flower would be nice."

At this Lelouch chuckled, but acknowledged his words with another smile. "...Nothing's truly struck me yet, actually," he admitted, leaning against Suzaku as he then whispered, eyes softening a little further, "And I'd still like to see it first before we make a final decision."

Suzaku smiled and pressed another kiss to his cheek. "That sounds good, too."

* * *

That evening it so happened that they were left alone, with C.C. out and Sayoko back on the farm with Jeremiah. The breeze from earlier in the day had ended up bringing on a torrential downpour, but besides this things remained relatively peaceful and cozy inside, Lelouch settling into the armchair with more yarn as Suzaku attempted to take on the role of baking blueberry pie for breakfast in the kitchen.

Lelouch - being Lelouch - had of course gotten the hang of knitting quite easily after the first pair of booties; at Suzaku's adoring encouragement he'd since made a couple of bonnets and had now decided to start on mittens. Kallen had been surprisingly observant and chosen yarn colors similar to the baby clothes they'd picked up while shopping: fewer gender-coded ones, more yellow, pale green and white - not that color ultimately mattered to either parent in the first place.

If the baby _was_, however, by some chance a boy indeed... Lelouch began knitting evenly, letting more considerations for names run through his mind while the little one merrily continued its stretching and kicking exercises inside him.

He and Suzaku had ended up discussing things a little further and had at least managed to rule out a few things, one being keeping to the naming tradition in Suzaku's family. Following the custom meant that _Seiryuu _or _Byakko_ could be used regardless of whether the baby was a boy or a girl, but then neither name sounded right to both parents, and Suzaku was also understandably reluctant at the significance and at the idea of continuing the family line down that path.

No, _Kururugi_ would remain as the sole family name no more - not with _vi Britannia_ now following after, both lineages now combining into a new one of hope...

Yes, _hope_ was a fitting enough word to describe things, Lelouch decided, giving his stomach a gentle rub as there was another kick. There was still always the small, underlying fear that something would go wrong somewhere, especially since his body had never been wired for this, but with everything that had been happening and Julianna's capable and positive diagnoses Lelouch was confident that their child would be just fine. And the baby's playful movements, as always, were the best reassurance of this... despite how uncomfortable they could sometimes get.

It kicked him again, hard and near what felt like his stomach - and Lelouch almost winced, but smoothed a hand over the curve instead with a reluctantly fond smile.

_"Rascal" suits you just fine right about now._

At seven months and counting he supposed there was slightly less room for its favorite activity of somersaulting now, though he could still sense the little one whirling around inside at least once a day. On the whole, however, it seemed to be channeling more of its energy into other shifting movements and stretching - or, as with the current situation, complaining restlessly about whatever he was doing or not doing.

Kick, kick, _kick_.

Lelouch sighed and put aside the knitting. He was about to get up and see if a walk around would help the baby to settle a bit when there was a sudden loud _BOOM!_ that came from the kitchen.

The baby jumped within him, startled - just as the entire house then plunged into darkness.

Whatever it was, it certainly hadn't been thunder. Lelouch rubbed his belly comfortingly at the now tiny, uncertain stir coming from it and tried not to sigh again at the thought of what the noise could have possibly been. _It's all right, little one, it's just your idiot of a father in the kitchen._

He felt for the arm of the chair with his other hand and sat forward, eyes still attempting to adjust to the pitch black surrounding him. "Suzaku?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" The call came back from the kitchen. At least Suzaku did sound all right, if not a little frantic.

"What is it this time?"

"I'm uh... I'm not sure. Look, just - _stay there_, okay? I'll go get a flashlight or something."

Over the sound of the still ongoing downpour Lelouch could hear a bump, some rummaging, then more unsuccessful fumbling around. Here, away from the city with all their lights out, a storm raging outside and no moon, it really was pitch dark, so it was no surprise that Suzaku wanted him to stay put even though he was clearly having difficulty looking for a torchlight himself.

"You'll find one on the mantelpiece," Lelouch told him, suddenly remembering that he'd seen one there and thus saving Suzaku the trouble of groping the whole way to their bedroom for another.

A few seconds later, "Okay... I think I'm there, just hang on a bit..."

Lelouch's assumption that Suzaku was already feeling around the shelf for it was confirmed when there was a sudden, high-pitched meowing yowl of protest, followed by Suzaku's resultant hiss of pain as Arthur rewarded him for grabbing and startling him out of slumber by mistake.

"_- Ouch!_ Ah, Arthur what are you _doing_ here? Ow..."

Bright lightning flashed in time for Lelouch to see the cat hopping off the mantelpiece and slinking indignantly away. The baby jumped a little again at the particularly loud clap of thunder that followed soon after and he stroked his womb soothingly once more as the beam from the flashlight finally came on.

"Got it." Suzaku announced triumphantly.

Lelouch rose from the chair, smiling apologetically as he made his way over to him. "Are you all right? Sorry I didn't expect the cat to be there either."

"I'm okay," Suzaku shook his injured hand with a wry grimace of a smile and looked back at the kitchen. "We should... probably try and figure out what happened..."

"First things first," Lelouch allowed himself a small laugh. "Let's get the lights back on, it's not as if the house is about to burn down."

"...Right." Suzaku grinned, sheepish.

He pulled up a chair to stand on so he could reach the circuit breaker, while Lelouch took the torchlight and directed the beam on the box from below. "Can you see it?"

Suzaku peered at the array of switches before him and eventually found the main one. "- Yep." And he was just about to reach and flick it back on when something under him gave a very timely _crack_.

"Watch it!" Out of reflex Lelouch shot out a hand to steady him as the chair seemed to give way, though in the few seconds and sudden flurry of things Suzaku's toppling and the baby's weight affected Lelouch's own balance and before either of them quite knew it they'd both landed on the floor in total blackness once again, Lelouch on his bottom, and Suzaku somewhere near him.

"Oh, _Gods -_" Suzaku seemed to choke with sudden panic, feeling frantically for him in the dark. "_Lelouch -_"

Lelouch found Suzaku's arm, understanding his worry immediately and laughing softly as the baby gave a little wiggle inside him, quite all right. "We're fine." Suzaku was bent over him now, close and concerned and Lelouch brushed a light kiss over his jaw to reassure him. "You?"

"...I'm good, yeah."

They stayed that way for a few more moments, both still catching their breaths. Lelouch felt for the flashlight which he'd dropped in the tumble, picked it up, and tried to turn it back on with no success - even when he hit it a few times against his palm.

"...The flashlight's broken now too, isn't it?" Suzaku asked defeatedly.

"It is."

And then somehow something caused Lelouch to start chuckling, low and mirthful.

"What's so funny?" Suzaku was curious, though Lelouch could feel him already smiling as well, affected by his laughter.

"Just a simple realization." Lelouch grinned a little. "Here we are - former world leaders, formidable Knightmare pilots, commanders of battalions, the two people who've destroyed the world and recreated it whole... and yet somehow we just don't seem quite as capable of getting ourselves out of a simple fix like this."

"... But... that's just sad, Lelouch."

"You're telling me."

A second passed and they both burst into laughter at the irony of it all, Suzaku leaning and managing to nuzzle Lelouch's cheek, and Lelouch searching for his mouth to plant another laughing kiss there in return.

And so after their little celebration at being given the opportunity to brave the struggles of a simple and mundane life together Suzaku ended up having to grope his way to the bedroom to get another flashlight after all, after which they discovered that the whole fall had occurred because one of the chair's legs had been weak and given way. So they brought another chair over, and finally, after testing it for stability and with Suzaku insisting that Lelouch stand further back this time in case the same thing happened again, they got the house's lights and electricity back on.

This, however, only brought their attention to another mini disaster as they entered the kitchen. In his panic Suzaku had left the tap running; the sound of gushing water had blended in perfectly with the noise of the rain while they'd been busy tending to the blackout and they hadn't noticed it at all, and so now the kitchen was starting to flood, water spilling from the overflowing sink and all over on to the floor.

"- Shit." Suzaku uttered, raced to shut off the tap, "shit, shit, shit shit _shit_ -" and in his hurry, skidded on the soapiness of the growing puddle and landed rather unceremoniously on his bum, smack in the middle of it all. "...Ow."

Lelouch crossed the floor carefully and with delicacy, deliberately ignoring Suzaku's worried protests of "No wait it's dangerous you're -", and reached and twisted the faucet slowly, firmly shut.

Then he stood with his dry hand on his hip, took in the sight of Suzaku sitting and sopping wet in a puddle of water and suds, and gave a thin, dryly humored and mocking smirk.

"I wonder why this looks so oddly familiar."

Suzaku's smile was a little forlorn. "...Sorry?"

In another situation Lelouch might have found himself a little more exasperated, but as it was, there was no point getting worked up over Suzaku's generic everyday stupidity and the whole sight was actually rather comical to behold, so he could only shake his head with a small, reluctant smile and extend a hand to help him back up.

"It appears," Lelouch nodded toward the oven, having smelt the blueberries and thus noticing it once he'd stepped into the kitchen, "that our oven is now covered in blueberry sauce."

Suzaku was drying his hands off on the front of his shirt. "Well, I did already put the pie in, so -" It was his turn to notice that the oven hadn't come back on though they'd fixed the power trip, and then that its transparent door was now dripping with purplish sauce from the inside. Suzaku blinked. "The _pie_ was what exploded? In the oven?"

"It certainly looks like it." Lelouch frowned. He crossed over to the still-dry part of the kitchen, knelt, and slowly pulled open the oven, Suzaku following behind to peer over his shoulder.

A hundred pieces of scattered blue glass fragments glistened back up at them, amidst the ruined pie and dripping sauce. Lelouch recognized the crystal-blue immediately.

"...Suzaku, isn't this the glass dish that I normally use for placing fruit on the table?"

"Um... yes?" Suzaku responded tentatively.

"And you thought that it would make a suitable pie dish... why?"

"Well it was there and empty, and I thought it'd look nice with your pie, so..."

Lelouch pressed his lips together. "Did you check to see if it was oven-safe?"

Suzaku's answer was a very informative "...Uhm."

At this point Lelouch realized that strangling something - or someone - would probably have felt good after all. It would probably have felt _very_ good, but instead he turned unblinkingly back to the mess, ran a finger through the sauce coating the inside of the oven door, and popped it into his mouth. Then he closed his eyes and sighed deeply - both at Suzaku's utter and complete idiocy, and at the warm taste of berries on his tongue.

At least the sauce was good, too. That was important.

And again, on the practical side of things, allowing himself to get too exasperated over this was only going to drain him of the energy they were now going to need to clean up the entire mess.

And Suzaku had only been trying.

"...Lelouch?"

"Mhm."

"You know, if you want to kill me, any time now would be fine. Just saying."

"...We're about seven months too late for that." Lelouch opened his eyes with a wry smirk. Suzaku was currently looking at him as though there was still a chance Lelouch would decide to do something heinous to him with a knife, but he was also looking absolutely morose.

Lelouch smiled. "Besides... I've got a much better use for you at the moment." He softened and placed a reassuring hand on Suzaku's shoulder. "Go get a mop for the sink area. You clear that up, and I'll handle things over here. How does that sound?"

* * *

An hour and a half later, Suzaku was still feeling pretty bad about everything.

They'd managed to clean up all the mess in the kitchen, and he'd unclogged the sink and mopped up the floor in time to help Lelouch finish wiping out the oven and wash up everything else. In slight paranoia, Suzaku had also insisted on checking every chair in the house to make sure there weren't any other faulty ones and to prevent Lelouch from ending up in any accidents before the baby was born. And fortunately, they'd managed to get the oven back up and running after a few tries.

Still, none of this was going to change the fact that there would be no more blueberry pie the next day, that he'd broken one of the display dishes Lelouch had liked (plus one chair and one flashlight), that he'd nearly caused a serious accident by not reacting fast enough when the chair had suddenly given way, and that he'd been the cause of all the trouble and mess in the first place - just because he'd done something silly due to ignorance.

Suzaku had only wanted to bake Lelouch a nice breakfast for the next morning and let him rest - he really had. Instead he'd only ended up creating more headaches and work for them both.

They'd cleared up everything and showered and Lelouch, towel still around his waist, had noticed him washing his hands under the bathroom tap and wincing. "Let me see," he'd said softly, then taken his injured hand, looked at the still-open wound, and promptly sent him off to wait on the bed while he got dressed himself and readied the first-aid kit.

And it didn't help that Lelouch was now here, gingerly and tirelessly tending to the nasty wound Arthur had given him earlier - with not a single cutting remark, even after everything that had happened.

Suzaku didn't think he deserved it at all.

The bite was indeed a deep one this time, since Arthur had only been reacting in startled defense - and so the antiseptic now stung terribly. Suzaku couldn't stop himself from wincing again as his finger twitched, and wordlessly Lelouch brought the affected hand closer to his mouth and began blowing gentle streams of air over the wound, soothing the pain.

The tenderness with which he did it only made Suzaku feel worse.

"I'm hopeless, aren't I." He finally murmured miserably.

Lelouch blew on the wound gently one more time, then set his hand down and picked up the bandaging, smiling comfortingly. "You're not hopeless." He lifted his hand again and dressed the injury, wrapping the gauze neatly, carefully around his finger. "An idiot, clearly - but not hopeless."

And then he secured the dressing and paused, looking back up at him with a small smile. "And I love you anyway," he said softly, planting a tender kiss to the now well-bandaged digit.

Suzaku managed a weak smile in return - warmed, touched, and feeling just a little bit better.

Lelouch knew him well, though, and pressed in to kiss his lips next, brief, softly wet, and just as tenderly as before. "Now stop fretting."

Despite everything, Lelouch would admit that he found it all oddly sweet - Suzaku's protectiveness, concern, and constant over-eagerness to help and do things for him only arose from his own love and care after all - and though Lelouch had to grudgingly give in to more dependency in certain areas as the little one kept growing he was also greatly warmed by how Suzaku was doing his best as a primary form of support. That Suzaku seemed to have a tendency to make things worse instead from time to time was simply a little unfortunate.

Lelouch _was_ a bit tired, and of course it would have been nice if Suzaku had used his head a little more before deciding to place display glass in the oven, but Suzaku needed to know that Lelouch wasn't mad at him, and that it didn't necessarily make him a failure.

Slowly Lelouch reached to touch the side of his face, running a thumb across his cheek and looking into green eyes still tinged with guilt. "What matters to me is your earnestness in whatever you've done." He whispered, then gave him a meaningful smile. "And accidents do happen. Weren't we just laughing at ourselves a couple of hours ago?"

Lelouch's eyes were soft and beautiful, not in the least accusing, and Suzaku - at his words, his reminder, the warmth of his palm on his cheek - could only cover his hand with his own, heart swelling with an emotion he couldn't quite name; a mix of gratitude and love. There weren't any other words he could find in that moment, and it was difficult not to smile as he finally breathed, "_Lelouch._"

And Lelouch looked at him, chuckled softly, and kissed him again. It was slow and long and sweet, both Lelouch's hands now cupping his face gently as Suzaku pulled him closer with a careful tenderness, and when it was over Lelouch kissed his forehead and murmured again, "Idiot."

But it was affectionate, and his smirk only light and teasing as he got up to put back the first-aid kit. Something caused him to stop halfway, however, and Suzaku saw the smirk turn into a grimace as his hand went to his back.

"Aches...?" He asked just to be sure.

"- Yes." Lelouch sighed but smiled a little. "Nothing beyond the usual. Don't worry."

Suzaku gave him a sympathetic, still-somewhat apologetic look anyway and stretched out his arms. "C'mere," he said softly, and made Lelouch put the kit on the side table and sit back down on the mattress, while he shifted behind him and went to work.

It was a little trickier this time with his index finger all bandaged up, but Suzaku was an expert by now at using both the heel of his palm and his knuckles, and he focused instead on listening for the small sounds and hitches of breath from Lelouch which always helped in letting him know the areas to concentrate on. After the evening's events Suzaku was determined to make it _good,_ and before long Lelouch was letting out a soft moan as he leaned into the massage, head tilting slightly back with his eyes closed.

"Better?" Suzaku murmured against his neck after awhile, still running a palm soothingly up and down his back.

"...Much." Lelouch's sigh was one of relief. He turned to look at him, smiling. "I'm a little surprised you managed that even with that finger."

Suzaku held up his carefully bandaged finger and looked at it innocently. "This?" And then against his better judgment - just to prove how effective it still was thanks to Lelouch's tender loving care - he grinned back and used it to give Lelouch a sudden, small and playful poke in his side.

"No no no _don't -_" Lelouch seemed to realize his intention in time but his protest was too late, and he flinched away from the tickle as Suzaku laughed at how adorable he'd looked.

But then there was a low growl, and the smile immediately vanished from Suzaku's face. _Oh, __hell__ - _

Perhaps his usual lightning-fast maneuvers were getting a little rusty, or perhaps it was because he was a little tired, or perhaps it was because Lelouch was a little heavier now with the added weight of the baby and everything in his womb - but somehow Lelouch, in seething vengeance, managed to push him down and settle himself neatly on his hips, and in between very unsuccessfully trying to squirm out from under him without hurting the growing mound of his belly in front, Suzaku was tortured, ravaged, and mercilessly attacked in all his weak spots Lelouch had already discovered way back in childhood - particularly the sensitive flesh just right under his left ribcage - until he was howling with laughter, gasping and close to tears in surrender.

"Okay! Okay! Sto-Stop! You win, I give up! Gods, _Lelouch_ - " Suzaku was still laughing, and when Lelouch didn't cease the tickling he tried to seize his hands blindly (because he was laughing so hard) to no avail. "Okay I surrender, I'm sorry! _I'm sorry!_ _Stop_, please, stop..."

Lelouch finally seemed satisfied with this and relented but didn't climb off him, settling further into his hips instead with the smuggest, most vindicated smirk Suzaku had seen in awhile. His violet eyes were brilliant and deviously lidded, and now that more coherence had returned to his mind Suzaku was forced to revise his theory on the softening, vulnerable effect pregnancy was _supposed_ to have on former world dictators, because clearly, Lelouch was still fully and completely -

"- Evil," he gasped, still getting his breath back while trying to roll onto his side. "You are just... plain..."

Lelouch leaned over him with a slow and terrifying smile. "What was that?"

"Ah - nothing!" Suzaku was quick to cover up and feign innocence. Lelouch looked very glorious up there, however, dark lashes, lips curved, a subtle pregnant glow and all and Suzaku wanted to kiss him - but at that thought, realized laughingly, "Gods... you haven't done this to me in... _years._"

The last time Lelouch had managed to pin him and render him powerless in a strategically, specifically-targeted surprise tickling attack like that had been when they were children, and he'd been sitting atop him with the exact same expression he was wearing now - smugly victorious, beautiful, and divinely evil. Apparently Lelouch remembered this very well too, because he smirked again, "I know," and then deftly prodded the area under his ribs once more with just the right amount of pressure.

Suzaku gave a laughing shout of protest, hands automatically flying to his defense, and Lelouch's smirk only grew. "You haven't changed at all."

Except he had... they both had, in so many other ways, and once again Suzaku was brought to amazement and humble gratitude at the reality of where they now were - what they now had, blossoming within Lelouch - as he finally pulled him gently down to meet his lips with his own, still laughing softly. Lelouch was laughing too against his lips and the kiss was loving, much like the one from just before, but deeper this time as Suzaku slipped his tongue further into Lelouch's mouth, a slow, warm slide against the sensual stroke of Lelouch's own.

The baby was no longer a little thing that fit snugly into his own waist like the missing piece of a puzzle whenever they were pressed together like this, but Suzaku now found compensation in the ability to slide his hand from Lelouch's spine to his side, warmly cradling its roundness and the child within while his other hand moved up to tangle in Lelouch's hair.

And Lelouch's heartbeat was intensifying slightly against his, which had to have excited the baby - or the baby must have wanted to participate in the tickling as well, because when Suzaku finally drew back it was to the feel of its tiny flurries of movement against his abdomen, through Lelouch's own.

"...That tickles, too." Suzaku whispered quietly, smiling and enthralled as always as he kept himself perfectly still, half-wishing the moment wouldn't pass.

Lelouch's smile was knowing and soft. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually laughing along with us the whole time."

And at this Suzaku chuckled softly, tilted his head up, and kissed Lelouch sweetly again, all other worries and the night's disasters finally fading and no longer so important - because it had become clear that no matter how many chairs he'd broken, or how many pies he'd destroyed - and no matter what wrongs they'd both done in the past... their baby was happy and safe, they still had each other, and in the end, that was all that truly, truly did matter.

* * *

_Yes I did get a toothache again while writing this, heh. Still not extremely satisfied with it, but I hope it didn't disappoint! Do drop me a review - and wish me luck for the next chapter too, because I shall be needing it. (hint, hint, hint ;D) It may also end up a pretty long chapter. We shall see. _


	7. Chapter 7

_Goodness, hello everyone, MERRY CHRISTMAS and I apologize for such a long wait! As usual RL has been crazy, but it's been especially busy ever since I started university, AND I also got sucked into a new fandom (X-Men: First Class ahahahha). I was stuck on the last 500-plus words of this chapter for MONTHS but the long break from it seems to have helped, so here we are! Hopefully some of you are still interested xP_

_**Small warning** to those of you who are reading this more for the lulz/fluff/romance instead of the MPreg itself, because I REALLY didn't skip out on some of the details here. (Don't worry though, I still consider this chapter quite fluffy and full of warm fuzzies.) Also **one more disclaimer: **This is Britannia/Japan and this is a humble fanfic, i.e. a work of fiction. I make no guarantee for the real-world accuracy of my descriptions, especially those in this chapter. I have, however, tried to engineer it to be as "real-life accurate" as possible, with a couple of exceptions. Further explanations on what is "realistic" and what is not can be found in my footnotes at the end of this chapter, for the immensely curious among you. _

_That's all I can tell you for now without completely giving away the content of this update. If you're still following this story, THANK YOU, and I sincerely hope you'll find it worth the wait! Sorry again!_

* * *

Seven

Lelouch slept a lot, now. Along into his eighth month of pregnancy, he seemed easily exhausted and the size of his stomach, though not overly ballooned, still made many simple things difficult to do. Eventually there'd been a shift in the way he walked too, a slight amble sometimes with him leaning back a little to balance the weight, and Suzaku, massaging tired feet each evening, had also noted the subtle beginnings of swelling in his ankles - all gentle reminders of the baby's slowly approaching arrival.

But Lelouch was fine, still elegant (though slower), still fiercely adamant on not letting Sayoko and Suzaku take over _everything_ while he could still handle certain aspects of household management - still had enough energy at the end of the day to exchange scornful remarks with C.C. _and _prepare dinner with all of Nunnally's favorite dishes to boot, at least.

Of course, the frequent naps he took during the day helped. At other times, Lelouch would simply lie there resting, and Suzaku checked on him one afternoon to find him half-awake on his side, the violet in his eyes warm, lidded, and drifting in quiet thought as he lay subconsciously smoothing a hand over his belly. Smiling at the way the sight filled his own heart with warmth Suzaku climbed up next to him and pressed a murmured kiss to his lips.

"Hey beautiful."

The smile Lelouch gave in response was beautiful too, soft and private as he drew Suzaku's hand to the feather-like nudging from his womb, and for the umpteenth time, Suzaku felt the quickening of his heartbeat and the strange, almost overwhelming mix of emotion at the thought that there would soon be a tiny new life in the house to hold and call their own.

"...What do you think it'll look like?"

"You mean _who_." Lelouch raised a brow, but was still smiling. "There'll be a little bit of the both of us, I hope."

Suzaku looked at him for a moment and grinned. "I hope he or she has your eyelashes."

This prompted a laugh from Lelouch, rich and deep as he smoothed the curls from Suzaku's face. "Idiot."

But Lelouch did have lovely lashes, and though Suzaku knew he had rather long ones himself there was no denying that lashes as dark and defined as Lelouch's were a fine feature to inherit... regardless of whether the baby was a boy or a girl.

Suzaku shifted closer, pressing their foreheads and bodies gently together and palming the roundness of Lelouch's belly with a loving caress as he murmured, "I still think it's a boy."

Lelouch merely closed his eyes, unwavering. "It's a girl."

"Mhmm."

"You can have the honor of changing the nappies for a week if you're wrong."

"That's not so hard -" Suzaku was still optimistic -

"A month, then."

Suzaku looked up in horror and Lelouch let out a low chuckle, though not unkindly as he placed a kiss on his forehead.

They stayed that way for a long moment more, before Lelouch shifted slowly. "...I've been considering it." He murmured. "Breastfeeding."

Suzaku found himself grinning. "Really?"

"Well. From a logical standpoint... the benefits far outweigh any of my own misgivings." Contemplation was still in Lelouch's eyes but from the steadiness in his voice Suzaku knew that his mind had already been more or less made up. And it was true... at least, based on what they knew. Far better than any discomfort or embarrassment was the bonding between parent and child, as well as the many advantages a mother's milk held for the baby and the act held for the mother. Maybe the closer he got to having the baby, the more Lelouch's maternal instincts were kicking in.

"I think you should." Suzaku kissed him lightly, smiling. Besides, Lelouch's body had already been equipping itself naturally anyway, tender nipples and all - and like the doctors had said, it wasn't like he was going to develop breasts. "You're not going to regret it."

Lelouch gave a low hum and closed his eyes again briefly. "Let's hope you're right." A pause. "We'll still need to ready the bottles. In case I don't have... enough, and so that you'll have a chance to nurse it too."

"Yeah." Suzaku grinned again, whispering. "I can't wait."

And then Lelouch was propping himself up suddenly, surveying him with an all-too-thoughtful look on his face. "You know... the doctors did say it was possible with _all_ men. With enough stimulus."

And suddenly something in Suzaku was becoming a little afraid of knowing exactly what Lelouch was getting at. "...Yeah?"

Lelouch smiled evenly. "It's our child. Your baby. If you decide that a bottle isn't providing enough bonding opportunity for you as a father I certainly won't stop you from trying to experience the natural process as well."

Suzaku's mind went a bit blank. Then his throat went a bit dry, and he ended up coughing. "Oh. I hadn't, uhm. Thought about it... That way."

"It's just a suggestion." Lelouch was still perched on one elbow, observing his reaction with what - Suzaku was _sure_ - was secret amusement dancing behind his eyes.

There was nothing wrong with the idea itself, Suzaku knew - though he probably would have liked it more if it wasn't so foreign and sudden, and if the thought wasn't making him feel so... awkward.

And so it was with newfound gratefulness (for all that Lelouch was probably going to have to endure in the course of "motherhood") that Suzaku finally swallowed and said, in a rather thin voice, "I think I'll be fine with uh... just the bottles." Though he was quick to add, "- But I'll let you know if I ever change my mind."

Lelouch looked at his face and instantly broke into laughter. Grinning, Suzaku grabbed him and kissed him again to shut him up, and decided, as they landed in a tangle back on the mattress, that there was still nothing which could really compare with this - that there was still nothing quite like _home._

* * *

As the date drew nearer the house seemed to get busier and also more crowded. Suzaku took his leave of absence from Nunnally's service, so he was home with Lelouch the whole time now, Sayoko came down even more often, Nunnally stayed over every weekend, Lelouch and Suzaku began readying everything for the new addition to the household and also discussed more specific arrangements with the doctors for the procedure. Lelouch wanted to be awake to hold his baby when it arrived, so it was decided that he'd undergo the surgery with a spinal block, unless the circumstances turned out such that a general anaesthetic was the only option. (Julianna reassured them, however, that the latter instance would be unlikely.) Things got to a point where just talking about the delivery made it all seem that much more exciting.

But as much as the anticipation was heightening, weariness had also begun to creep in, especially so for Lelouch. He was tired, he was heavy, he was tired of _being_ heavy - even the baby seemed tired of being squashed up in there, protesting actively some nights with constant stretching and kicking. Lelouch was tired of being kept awake when he wanted to sleep, tired of having his bladder constantly pressed upon, tired of feeling like his insides were suffocating from lack of space and oftentimes more than ready to insist that Marc and Julianna carry out the C-section _right then_ just so they could all obtain some much-needed relief.

But it still wasn't time yet, and the baby also wasn't quite ready. And Lelouch wasn't about to take a risk merely for the sake of convenience - not with this.

Thankfully only slightly more than a couple of weeks to the scheduled date now remained. Lelouch leaned against the doorframe that afternoon, watching Suzaku as he made quick work of the crib assembly, and musing about the room arrangements they'd planned for, while one hand rubbed at his tired back.

They were fortunate that the cottage had enough space to accommodate arrangements for the delivery - Nunnally and C.C. had agreed to room together to allow the doctors to take up temporary residence in Nunnally's once the baby arrived (so that the doctors would be around at the beginning to monitor Lelouch's and the child's conditions and make sure there were no problems). This still left the spare room which Sayoko often used when she stayed over, which could double for a short while as a delivery room if needed. Lelouch and Suzaku had decided that the crib itself, meanwhile, would stay in their own room, so they could easily look after their little one at night - at least until it was older.

Mentally, Lelouch had been prepared for the pain long before - the chance of going into labor before the expected delivery date was common and didn't frighten him _too_ much. Scheduled delivery or not, however, there was still a certain anxiety surrounding everything else - the surgery, the birth, the _baby _- whether unforeseen complications would arise, whether they'd do things right, whether he'd be able - whether they'd _all_ be able to manage things appropriately. Lelouch knew these were all hardly any cause for concern considering their positive circumstances and all the preparations they'd been making, but when it came down to it he was slowly realizing that he was still becoming as nervous as any new parent would probably be.

Suzaku, meanwhile, had finished putting the crib together, and tested it for sturdiness before taking a step back to survey his little accomplishment, both satisfied and sort of proud. When he turned and saw Lelouch smiling as well from the doorway he grinned and made his way over.

"Are you excited?" Lelouch asked him quietly, tucking away some of the brown fringe which had fallen into his eyes and tracing the line of his jaw.

Suzaku smiled. "A little scared too, actually, now that..." Now that they were almost going to have the baby. Now that it was so near. It was an honest answer. Suzaku slipped a hand tenderly behind Lelouch's back, realizing that what he was feeling was the same protectiveness and concern which had been there since the start of everything - even more so now that Lelouch was heavy with child. Suzaku didn't doubt Lelouch's capability, but Lelouch _did_ look more delicate now than ever before and though his spouse was still smiling Suzaku could tell that he was probably a little afraid of what was to come, too.

But then Lelouch placed a hand on his arm, violet eyes serene and steady, and Suzaku understood what he was also saying - that it was normal to feel scared, that it didn't really matter, that together they could and _would_ get through things - just like they had before, and just like they always had.

Lelouch leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, and as Suzaku wrapped his arms around the fullness of his form and kissed back, it felt as though he was just that little bit readier to embrace whatever they had in store for themselves next, too.

... Which was probably just as well, because Lelouch, as it turned out, soon became very, _very_ eager to make sure _every. single. little. thing_ was ready for the baby's arrival. A week more into the final month (and just over a week before the C-section as planned), Lelouch kind of... went into overdrive. Okay, "kind of" was an understatement (because this _is_, after all, Lelouch we are talking about). Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was because the doctors had, at the start of the weekend, already brought over and set up some of the medical equipment as a precautionary measure (in case the baby decided it wanted to be born a _little_ earlier). It did seem like the sight of the complex machinery had caused something to snap in Lelouch, because suddenly he wanted the windows wiped, the grass trimmed, the bathrooms sparkling, the bedsheets changed, the vases taken out of storage and filled with fresh flowers (where had those vases even come from anyway) - he even started demanding that _C.C.'s_ room be cleaned too, and that it be cleared completely of pizza boxes, regardless of whether half-eaten pizza was left in them or not. Ah, the house was going to be lovely.

But things _weren't_ lovely - not if you were C.C. (who chose to give up the remainder of her pizza over putting up with Lelouch's nagging), and _especially_ not if you were Suzaku, who was busy being worried sick that Lelouch's sudden "nesting" urge was going to cause him to overwork, stress himself, and also stress the baby out at any moment now because he was still insistent on doing whatever he _could_ do without any extra help.

Lelouch did of course need help with a lot of the heavier work, though - and naturally this was where Suzaku became the day's unfortunate errand boy - running around lifting furniture, shifting tables, bringing mops and pails. It wasn't so bad at first. In fact, Suzaku had been more than willing to lend a hand and was, of all people in the house, the most used to being bossed around by Lelouch. But then this impulsive cleaning spree of Lelouch's was really becoming a little... disconcerting, especially seeing how Lelouch was _still_ running so high on adrenalin.

There was just no end to it. Lelouch was dusting the shelves, folding towels, ironing all the clothes - and on top of that, already talking about baking something for tea. He wanted the floor of the living room mopped - under the carpet included. He wanted the coffee table shifted here. He wanted the lampstand shifted there. He felt the new armchair wasn't really situated in the best place in their room. Perhaps a little nearer to the window. -No, how about against the wall, over here. Still not quite right. More toward that side... no, no, sorry Suzaku, the other side of the window... ah, and while they were at it, he didn't _really_ like this set of curtains -

Lelouch turned momentarily, pressing his lips together in recall. "The other ones should be dry by now. I'll go bring them in -"

"_Lelouch._" Suzaku set the armchair back down and sighed, rubbing a hand over his cheek. He'd been complying on the whole because he knew listening was better than trying to pick an argument at this point - but all the work Lelouch was putting him through _was_ finally starting to get a little annoying, and all the work Lelouch was putting _himself_ through at one go was, more importantly, making him really, really worried. The fact that Lelouch had been airily dismissing all Suzaku's gentle reminders to take it easy (or all his attempts at gentle reminders, anyway, since he almost never got to finish) wasn't helping either. "Look - we still have slightly more than a week to go before the operation. I know you want everything to be in perfect order and I know it's kind of natural to want that but... don't you think you need to slow down a little before... I mean, I'm just worried because the doctors and the baby books said -"

At the words 'baby books' Lelouch glared. Yikes. Suzaku threw his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'll uh..." He swallowed. "-just be outside. Watering the plants. Or something." Perhaps it'd be better to stay out of the way after all - at least while Lelouch went to take in the laundry (if he was still going to, that was). Maybe Lelouch's prickliness was due to some late stage pregnancy hormone thing, or maybe Lelouch hadn't had enough sleep the night before again (all the more reason why he ought to take a break, actually). Whatever it was, if he wanted everything done his own way and done _now_, then it looked like it still wasn't the best time to object... yet. Though Suzaku really wouldn't be the one to blame now if anything did hap-

"Actually, if you're worried, you can stay and help by moving that chair a little more to the right. I wasn't quite done yet."

_Again?_ Well... alright. Alright, fine. Suzaku bit back another sigh and complied. "Here?" He looked up after he was done to see Lelouch still surveying the layout with a thoughtful frown.

"What do you think?"

Suzaku shrugged loosely, common sense (and experience) telling him to go with what he knew to be the safest response. "Whatever you like." It was honest, too, actually. Suzaku didn't mind wherever Lelouch wanted the stupid chair as long as it wasn't going to block the way or something. Besides, knowing how Lelouch always prided himself in his sense of style, Lelouch was probably going to end up sticking to his own opinion anyway and the faster he got this frantic nesting urge over with, the better for all of them. "You're the one who wanted to shift it in the first place."

Lelouch gave him a look. "I'm trying to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for all of us, and especially for _our baby_. You could at least try to show a little more interest."

"Intere- _hey._" Suzaku blinked at the sudden attack for all of one second before deciding that that was _it._ "I'm _worried_ about you _overexerting_ yourself, okay? Last I checked, that's bad for _both_ of you, so I'm sorry if I'm a little more concerned about _well-being_ than the placement of-" Suzaku gestured in frustration, "a chair the baby isn't even going to care about!"

Outside in the living room, Nunnally raised her head to look in the direction of the increase in volume. "Oh dear."

"Oh _yes,_" C.C. stretched out further on the couch and propped her cheek on one hand with a feral grin, listening eagerly. The little spitting cat fights Lelouch used to pick with Suzaku in the early months had all eventually fizzled out once the hormones had settled mid-way into the pregnancy - and so had her free source of entertainment, so she was delighted at how all this was now starting to play out. Of course, it was a given that there'd always be soppy kiss-and-make-up/make-out not long after (really, _that_ had been happening since even before Zero Requiem) but C.C. would take her amusement (and the opportunity to harass them about their increasing resemblance to an old married couple) where she could get it.

"Well I'm _touched_." Lelouch was now biting back, and not very humorously. "It's a wonder you haven't confined me to the bed yet." He lowered the hand he'd brought to his chest to swoon melodramatically with. "I'm not going to be _impaired_ in every single damn thing just because I'm nine months along, Suzaku. I've emphasized the fact enough times."

"I _know,_ but -"

_But_, Suzaku's earlier words had apparently still upset Lelouch considerably. And ruined his mood even further. And Suzaku probably still wasn't getting his point. Lelouch cut him off icily, "If you're going to insist that _everything_ is unsafe and persist in such reluctance then I'd rather not involve you at all. Forget I even asked for your help."

Suzaku lost whatever retort he was about to come up with and stared at him like he was _truly_ crazy if he thought he was going to be able to shift things around and redecorate on his own.

"Don't worry." Lelouch's voice was smooth despite the obvious sarcasm. "I've decided the chair will stay where it is, no thanks to your ever insightful input. And at this stage I think it's _safe_ to say I know my own limitations better than anyone else." Lelouch turned and began putting the freshly-laundered towels away. "Now I suggest you leave before you upset me enough to trigger _false labor_, seeing as how I'm so very delicate."

Uh, wow. Okay. If that was the way Lelouch wanted to be, Suzaku - well, Suzaku really couldn't argue with that anyway, so he settled for an exasperated (and incredulous, because he was), "Fine! Don't call me if it actually does happen then, because I'm going to be staying well out of the way!"

He stalked out of the room knowing full well, of course, that it obviously wasn't true and that he'd come rushing back to Lelouch's side the instant he knew something was wrong - but it felt vindicating to yell it all the same. He looked at Nunnally's worried expression and C.C.'s ever-amused eyes and stopped at the main door, sighing.

"I'm going out for a walk. Give me a call when he decides he can bear the sight of me again."

The door slammed on his way out and Nunnally bit her lip uncertainly. "They'll be alright... won't they?"

"Oh yeah, they'll be okay." C.C. said.

As it was, Lelouch's mood to get things done had now soured entirely. Fortunately almost everything had already been made ready and there really wasn't much else he could do himself anyway, besides checking through all the baby clothes and nappies and giving the windows another quick wipe. Once this was done he decided he was suddenly feeling drained and settled in for a long nap instead of sitting around moping and pretending he wasn't pissed off that Suzaku still hadn't come back yet.

Suzaku was back in time for dinner but Lelouch had still been mutely taking offense at him, so he'd said nothing either and the meal had passed in stony silence.

"This is terrible." Poor Nunnally who'd never been around enough to witness the worst of their fights before (well, the grown-up fights based on their formerly humongous philosophical differences, anyway), was getting a bit upset herself. She'd considered trying to speak to her brother about it but had, in very wise judgment, remained quiet for fear of only upsetting him further.

"Don't worry," C.C. reassured her, smiling and being utterly straightforward, "They'll be having sweet and tender make-up sex soon enough, trust me."

For the most part, C.C. was right.

Suzaku and Lelouch were still giving each other the cold shoulder when they climbed into bed, but it had gotten to a point where Suzaku was starting to feel quite horrible about things; seeing Lelouch curled up and miserable at the far end of the bed with his back turned to him only made things worse.

Lelouch was _nine months pregnant_, for Gods' sakes, it shouldn't have hurt to indulge him a little more - Suzaku had just wanted to make sure nothing went wrong... maybe a little too much.

The silence and distance was fast becoming unbearable and Suzaku was already contemplating the best moment to make an apology when Lelouch surprised him by saying it first.

"I'm sorry." It was low and about as miserable as Suzaku had sensed he was, but most of all it was tired as Lelouch sighed and rubbed at a shoulder, still facing the other direction. "This is ridiculous. The baby's due in a matter of _days_ and here we are..."

"- getting mad at each other for stupid reasons." Suzaku finished with a huge smile of relief that washed over his face. He shifted closer and pulled Lelouch against him, murmuring and glad for the contact which he was now so familiar with. "I was just about to apologize, too."

He felt more than saw Lelouch smile as Lelouch turned to look over his shoulder at him. "I was a lot less appreciative of your concern than I know I should've been. And I overreacted. I'm sorry I..."

"...was such an asshole?" Suzaku grinned, teasing. "Well I... probably should've known better and understood." He admitted softly. "And respected your wishes. ...And been less overprotective. I'm sorry too."

"That's better." Lelouch smirked at him, but his voice was soft, then he was turning away again two seconds later and Suzaku leaned over and squinted in the dark. Was he _actually_...

"Lelouch... are you - you're _crying._"

"I'm not. I just..."

Suzaku tried not to laugh at the obvious denial and tenderly coaxed him around so they were facing each other. Lelouch's hormones _had_ to be taking him on one last roller coaster ride at this stage - it was the only logical reason why Lelouch would be overwhelmed enough by a simple squabble and certainly explained why he'd been so snippy in the first place. And so Suzaku cuddled him as best as he could with Lelouch's nine-month bulge warm between them, and applied what he'd come to learn was the best distraction during all of Lelouch's lows in the earlier months.

"Please don't cry, I love you."

Now it wasn't as if Lelouch was even sniffling - it had simply been a couple of involuntary, silent tears because he _had_ hated the forced distance, hated that Suzaku had left (even though it _was_ mostly Lelouch's own fault), hated the fact that it had happened so close to a time when he'd probably need Suzaku the most. And he was, as Suzaku had guessed, indeed a little overwhelmed by hormones and _immensely glad_ that it was now over - but as always here Suzaku was, already giving him something to be even more embarrassed about.

"You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?" Lelouch sighed.

Suzaku ignored him and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. "I love you very much," he murmured, sighing deeply too and meaning it wholeheartedly. "And I didn't mean what I said about not being there if anything does happen." Something terrible occurred to him then - because what if Lelouch had been so upset because he'd actually believed Suzaku - and Suzaku pulled back worriedly just to ask and be sure, "You knew _that_, right?"

Lelouch smiled - half a smirk, half a grin, "Never doubted it for a moment." And Suzaku grinned back, wiping the drying tear tracks off his face with a thumb.

"You know at this rate, I won't be surprised if you do end up going into labor tomorrow or something."

Lelouch let out a snort and gave him a half-hearted shove, and, chuckling, Suzaku caught him again before he could make to turn away.

Truth be told, this was usually the point where "sweet and tender make-up sex" would be initiated by either one of them, but with Lelouch in such a condition, and advice against too much stress or excitement at such a stage, sex was pretty much out of the question.

So Suzaku kissed him instead, long and slow and sweet, hand moving to the back of Lelouch's neck as Lelouch sighed against him and reciprocated, allowing himself to be drawn back into Suzaku's cuddle. By the time they were done Lelouch was pressing a tired, affectionate, "Idiot," to the corner of his mouth, and Suzaku chuckled softly and reached upward to kiss his forehead in return.

"Yeah, I know." He whispered. "I love you, too."

* * *

Lelouch awoke the next morning to the feel of both the baby kicking and... he half-opened his eyes - Arthur batting his wrist and meowing. Suzaku's warmth was gone from beside him, which meant that he was probably already in the kitchen getting breakfast done and...

"Meow, meow, meow, _meow._"

"Alright, alright. I'm up. I'm up, I'm up." Lelouch reached blearily to scratch the cat under his chin, yawning and blinking himself fully awake in the process.

"Meow," said Arthur, moving to butt his head against Lelouch's swollen belly before looking at him with shining yellow eyes.

The baby gave a playful kick in response and Lelouch chuckled, scratching the cat's fur again. "Yes, Arthur. Good morning... from both of us." He watched in mild fascination as the cat padded round in a circle on the mattress and then butted his head against him again, this time purring as he rubbed it against his womb. Arthur rarely jumped on the bed in order to give wake up calls, and had often maintained respectful distance from Lelouch's growing stomach (save one instance when he'd curled up against it to go to sleep), so this was an uncommon sight.

The cat mewed again and rubbed against him more insistently, still purring. "_Alright_, alright." Lelouch managed a short laugh as he propped himself up, accommodating the weight of his middle. "Just a moment." Rising quickly was no longer an easy feat - especially if he woke up in the wrong position. There'd even been an embarrassing incident the week before where he'd actually ended up having to call for Suzaku's help because somehow _he just hadn't been able to get up from the mattress._ (Suzaku had, of course, momentarily mistaken his yell for something else and panicked, and C.C. of course had teased Lelouch endlessly afterward.)

Lelouch sat up slowly now, feeling a bit cumbersome and tired but at least managing well enough this time, and Arthur bounded after him as he finally got up, trailing at his feet. The cat pawed at his pant leg, meowing even more, and it was then, as Arthur stalled his route to the dining area by circling his feet and pawing at him yet again, that Lelouch realized he was probably after something else entirely.

Arthur looked up at him meaningfully and Lelouch spared him a rueful smile, though he was also a little bemused at the cat's unusual behavior. "I can't bend anymore, you rascal. Not like this." He glanced up to see Suzaku busy in the kitchen, as expected. "Go ask Suzaku for whatever it is you want - and no biting."

"Meow." Arthur cocked his head to the side and twitched an ear, still staring up at him.

"Well go on."

The cat was smart, Lelouch would give him that. He gave a last, somewhat disgruntled "mrowr," before trotting off, and Lelouch watched, smiling, as Arthur switched targets as told and was rewarded by Suzaku's fond laughter. Suzaku turned briefly away from breakfast preparations to pick him up and fuss over him; a thought occurred to Lelouch and distantly he pondered the possibility that the cat had actually been trying to _tell_ him something instead -

Arthur seemed more than happy with the dish of cat biscuits which Suzaku set down for him, however, and it wasn't as if Lelouch was feeling anything out of place - no aches, no sign of his waters breaking, or anything else of the sort -

A slight twinge caught him by surprise as he pulled back a chair at the table to sit down for breakfast. Lelouch winced momentarily, one hand automatically shifting to support his spine - but then it lasted no more than five seconds.

Nothing more.

Lelouch made a note of it nonetheless, frowning as he rubbed his back. False alarms were a likelihood at such a stage and Lelouch disliked the idea of causing unnecessary panic - but it was probably a good idea to at least check with the doctors anyway, if anything else happened. He decided a phone call would be in order if he ended up experiencing a couple more similar instances of pain.

But there was nothing - breakfast with everyone went by without further incident, as did lunch - and by the time Lelouch and Nunnally took the laundry out to dry, any anticipation was already far at the back of Lelouch's mind.

There was fine weather that afternoon - a cool breeze and a warm sun. Suzaku had refrained from protesting this time, on the basis that laundry wasn't too much work by itself - but especially since Nunnally was helping to carry the baskets on her lap, and also because he was currently busy in the kitchen again, trying to bake something for tea (...er, without any explosions this time around, of course). Nunnally meanwhile was chirping animatedly about her most recent visit to Ashford, which had been made together with Ougi and Viletta, and Lelouch listened with interest while they hung up the clothing.

"...And the baby took three steps forward, straight toward Rivalz! You should've seen Rivalz face, and oh, Ougi and Viletta looked like such proud parents. I don't think ever seen them beam like that before." She passed him another shirt from the basket she was holding and Lelouch smiled at the mention of his old friend.

"And what did Rivalz do?" He took the clothespin from her and pegged the shirt to the line.

Nunnally giggled. "I think he cried a bit; he was so moved!"

"He'll make a decent father, don't you think? At least he's less of an idiot than Suzaku is, sometimes."

"Oh, Lelouch." She laughed again at his teasing wink. "How terribly mean."

Lelouch took a blouse next, and Nunnally's voice softened. "Well. I think you and Suzaku will _both_ make great parents." She whispered firmly, eyes sincere and shining. "...And I'd love to be here when your baby eventually starts taking its first steps too."

Lelouch gave a light laugh, smiling warmly as he placed an affectionate hand over his middle. "I'm sure you won't have too long to wait now."

He was turning to hang up the blouse when he paused, grimacing a little. There was that twinge again - considerably worse now, in fact...

"Brother?" Nunnally reached out to touch his arm in concern.

"I'm fine," Lelouch smiled again, relaxing as the sensation faded. "It was probably just a -" _oh __Gods__ -_

The blouse fell to the ground and he let out a small, strangled cry of pain, bending over.

"Lelouch!" Nunnally gasped and tightened her grip on his arm in an effort to steady him before crying loudly, "_Suzaku! Suzaku-san!_"

Suzaku burst out the back door and was by their sides in a matter of seconds. "What is it, what's wr- oh. Oh, gods." He took one look at Lelouch and immediately gathered him into his arms, green eyes beginning to brim with panic. "Now?"

"...I ... it seems so." Lelouch managed, cringing as he clutched at Suzaku's shoulder and bit back another cry.

"Alright, easy... easy." Suzaku soothed, lifting him up bridal-style. "I'm going to get you into the room, okay? Nunnally, you get inside too. Leave the laundry for now."

They brought him quickly into the house, and Suzaku yelled for help. "_C.C! Call the LeBlancs!_"

"Oh," C.C. looked up from her pizza with mild surprise as they stepped in, a string of cheese dangling from her mouth. "So the queer sensation I felt this morning _was_ linked to his subconscious then. He was going into labor."

"You _sensed something _and you_ didn't say anything?_" Suzaku almost yelped in indignance, stopping in his tracks.

"Now now, Daddy-o, you can't have expected me to know immediately what it was supposed to mean. He isn't scheduled for surgery till next week, anyway."

"Suzaku," There was a soft, panting gasp by his shoulder.

"Aaah! Okay. Okay okay okay, uhmm -"

Nunnally started half-laughing in amusement. "Don't panic, Suzaku."

"I - I'm not panicking!"

"You _are_ panicking," C.C. grinned, rising languidly from the chair to make her way over to the phone.

From his arms, even Lelouch managed a laugh. "Relax... it's not like it's going to - _mhrngh._" Another wave gripped him then and he cringed, a hand fisting in Suzaku's shirt.

"Okay." Suzaku took a deep breath. "Okay. Easy. Breathe, breathe..." It almost felt as though he was talking to himself as well. "There, see? We're both going to do this... we're both going to relax. Okay?"

Lelouch nodded wordlessly against him, already making controlled inhales and exhales, and so Suzaku carried him gingerly to the spare room while C.C. dialed for the LeBlancs.

"Julianna? Yes, I'm afraid we might have a little emergency on our hands..."

"Bed or chair?" Suzaku murmured to Lelouch as he brought him in, now truly, _truly_ glad that they'd actually ended up clearing up and readying almost everything the day before.

"The chair." Lelouch answered hoarsely, and Suzaku lowered him gently so he could sit facing the back of the wooden chair and brace himself against it, if necessary.

"You okay?"

Lelouch let out a breath and nodded, the contraction (or contractions - he wasn't very sure just yet) having faded a little. "I should have said something earlier. I'm sorry."

"Earlier?" Suzaku pulled up the other chair and settled down behind him, smoothing hands over his back just like he did when he was about to give Lelouch a nice, long back rub.

"This morning. There was a pinch... but nothing after, so I didn't think..." _Arthur_, Lelouch remembered then - "Oh, gods, of course - Arthur_._" He found himself letting out a dry laugh. "I think he was actually trying to _tell _me, and I -" He lost whatever he was about to say in a hiss and a low groan and Suzaku reacted fast, kneading his muscles steadily.

"Okay," he soothed. "It's okay, it's okay. It doesn't matter. ...It's..." He paused, hands slowing, and Lelouch sensed him swallow behind him. "Gods." Suzaku said softly. "It's really happening, isn't it?"

Lelouch glanced over his shoulder with a strained smile. "I thought you said you wouldn't be surprised."

"I... _Lelouch_, I was joking!"

"Well -" Lelouch winced at another twinge. "I don't think your baby is."

"Julianna says to time the contractions and to let them know immediately if they're less than three minutes apart." C.C. appeared at the doorway. "They'll be up here in forty minutes."

"Time contractions. Right, right. Yeah. Okay." Suzaku was up on his feet again, panicked edge growing once more in his voice - "-Did you say _forty minutes_?" He asked desperately.

Lelouch raised his head, something else occurring to him right then in the commotion - "Suzaku, the kitchen." Suzaku had run out to help them while he'd been in the middle of baking, after all, and -

"The - oh. Oh, shit. Um -"

"Hold up, hold up, I'll handle it." C.C. said laughingly, stopping him before he could dash out the door. "You stay with Mommy dearest. And yes, forty minutes."

"Okay. Okay. Ah, could - could you get us some ice while you're at it?"

"Fine, fine." C.C. sighed, but quickly went off again, and Suzaku looked at the clock on the side table.

"Alright... so that was..."

"One. Maybe two contractions. I'm not completely certain." Lelouch told him. "But it's gone. For now."

Suzaku nodded, then frowned and bit a lip, asking worriedly, "...Are the first few really that bad? I thought they're usually supposed to start out... milder..."

Lelouch smiled wryly. "Then maybe 'milder' was all that I got this morning. Let's just hope they're regular from here onward."

"Right." Suzaku took a steadying breath and pressed a brief kiss to his temple. "Okay." He looked around the room, realizing that they could probably use the interval to start getting the other things ready... "Ah - towels."

He was scrambling to the cupboard just as Nunnally's voice floated in from the door. "Here, I brought you a basin for washing - and some cups, and water for Suzaku, too." She wheeled in, beam as earnest as ever and a couple of mugs in hand, the basin on her lap, and Suzaku paused to thank and collect them from her, smiling.

"Oh Nunnally." Lelouch wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have, but knew she was only trying to help wherever she could.

Nunnally smiled back and touched his arm, asking gently, "Do you need anyone else with you for the time being?"

It was an earnest question. She was excited, Lelouch knew, and she wanted to be there for him, but...

"You can stay, if you like." He smiled. "Till the doctors arrive. Although I can't promise that it'll be a very pleasant experience. And..." He looked at Suzaku, who was now in the process of pulling out the entire mound of blankets and towels Lelouch had prepared the day before. While Nunnally would probably help to keep them both a little calmer... "I think putting one person through the ordeal with me is bad enough."

"...That wasn't meant to encourage me at all, was it?" Suzaku asked weakly, looking up at him with a defeated smile.

But Nunnally laughed - and fortunately understood what Lelouch felt was better for her and for all of them. "I understand." If she insisted, her brother would have quickly given in, but in such a situation it was all the more important that his wishes came first and foremost. "I'll be outside with C.C. if you need anything else, then."

Lelouch smiled warmly and extended a hand toward her, giving her smaller hand a gentle squeeze as she placed it in his. "We'll call you back in as soon as we can." He promised softly. "Once the baby is here."

"Of course." She whispered, and reached to take Suzaku's hand as well, looking brightly at them both. "Be strong, both of you." She gave both their hands a firm squeeze for emphasis.

"Don't make too much of a ruckus." C.C. added as she walked back in to set down an entire tub of ice chips, smirking as she then came to stand by Nunnally's chair. "I'll ring Sayoko and tell her to come down. And in the meantime..." She grinned. "We'll man the fort and enjoy the tea. You two have fun."

"Uhh... Thanks." Suzaku managed uncertainly.

Nunnally leaned forward to give them both quick pecks on the cheek. "You'll be fine. I know it." She said softly, smiling, before letting C.C. help to wheel her out - and before long Lelouch and Suzaku were alone again.

"Okay." Suzaku ran a hand through his hair after shutting the door and returning to his side, taking another deep breath. "Just... relax, and... - don't walk, okay? We're not supposed to speed this up."

"I'm not going anywhere." Lelouch said blandly, resting his head again on folded arms as he blinked. "And I'm not the only one who needs to relax." Here he smiled again, giving Suzaku a pointed look, and Suzaku gave a shaky smile in return.

"Sorry... I just..."

He was scared, and Lelouch knew he was scared, knew he was berating himself for being a frantic mess when Lelouch needed him most, too - but the truth was Lelouch was scared as well... anyone would've been. The surgery wasn't supposed to be for another few days after all - but now that early labor had started, they could at least be grateful they'd anticipated _some_ things.

_Together we can do anything._ Lelouch reached gently for the back of Suzaku's neck and pulled him down into a soft kiss. "Everything's going... to be fine." He paused at the mild sensation starting again in his lower back, and Suzaku must have felt him stiffening, because he clasped his shoulder worriedly.

"Another one?"

"I don't... I think so. Yes." The pain intensified. "Yes." He bit back a groan and Suzaku moved quickly behind him again, massaging in soothing motions.

"Breathe... breathe..."

Lelouch breathed. It wasn't mind-numbing (yet), and he knew it was just uterine muscle, cramping and rippling in preparation, as if for a normal birth - but oh gods, they contracted strongly - and it hurt.

"It's six... seven minutes. The interval, I mean." Suzaku was counting as he frowned at the clock. That was a little close for starters according to what he knew, but they didn't have to be alarmed as long as the contractions weren't coming too close together... right?

Lelouch pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to muffle a cry as he tensed further and Suzaku winced at the sight, heartbeat racing even as he continued rubbing Lelouch's back, wishing desperately that there was more he could do.

"Easy, easy..." He repeated, swallowing and attempting to get a hold on his own nervousness. "Just listen to me, just... keep breathing. -Do you want anything else? Ice...?"

Lelouch shook his head, drawing in a long, shaky breath as he grimaced. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He tried to focus on the circular motions Suzaku was pressing into his shoulders and arms and back instead, tried to focus on breathing in, and then out, in, out... and eventually the cramping was fading, he was relaxing... and Suzaku was subsequently relaxing too, finally settling back down into the chair behind him and nestling his face in Lelouch's hair with a soft sigh, still massaging, slow and rhythmical.

For a moment Lelouch reached back, pulling one of Suzaku's hands forward to clasp and run a thumb soothingly along it, and he sensed Suzaku give a small smile in return, gripping his hand back tightly.

At this rate, Lelouch thought with an inner sigh, it was going to be a long forty minutes more before the doctors even arrived.

He was more or less right.

Lelouch generally had a high tolerance for pain when it was sharp, brief and fleeting - but with the womb's muscles working constantly within him now, the stress was long, tiring, and slowly worsening and he had more and more difficulty keeping himself from groaning.

Ironically enough, however, it was probably Suzaku who got more distressed with all that worrying, while waiting and trying to help. Lelouch's breaths became more labored with each contraction and he was groaning and in obvious pain, but he kept a firm grip on things (and the back of the chair) and was managing steadily enough. Suzaku... well. Even a quiet whimper from Lelouch was enough to send his chest tightening yet again with concern. They were just labor pains, he knew, and they were all going to be fine, he knew - but it wasn't easy to watch Lelouch in this much pain for so long, and even less easy to keep himself from becoming a nervous wreck as it continued. He tried his best, though, helping to keep Lelouch's breathing even, and dutifully massaging and pressing wherever Lelouch wanted him to, relieving as much of Lelouch's tension as he could despite his own racing pulse.

And if Lelouch had harbored any doubts as to whether he was really in labor before, they were all gone now. The contractions continued, coming closer together and then a little closer still - at some point Suzaku must have convinced him to shift to the bed and must have helped him over, because then they were sitting on the mattress in a tight sort of cuddle, Suzaku wrapping his arms around Lelouch and rubbing his back as Lelouch leaned into him, breaths trembling.

It did seem to alleviate the pain a little, briefly.

"You can bite my shoulder," Suzaku whispered to him, anxiety still keeping his heart pounding. "As hard as you need to."

"...That's not going to make things better for either of us," Lelouch got out a dry and skeptically amused response - then stiffened, breathed, "_Fuck,_" and buried his face in between Suzaku's shoulder and neck to muffle a long cry, eyes squeezing shut as he shook - and Suzaku pressed soothing murmurs against his skin as he desperately continued running his hands up and down his back, unable to do much else.

"_Fuck_, oh, _gods__ -_" Lelouch's grip on his arm was surprisingly helpful in grounding some of Suzaku's own panic. "Suzaku."

"I'm here." Suzaku could understand fully now, why Lelouch hadn't exactly wanted Nunnally around. "I'm here. It's okay. It's gonna be okay." Maybe if he said the last few words enough times, he'd manage to fully assure himself of the same thing, too.

Lelouch's hold slackened after a few more moments, but his eyes were still clamped shut, his breathing still heavy, sweat finally beading on his brow - so Suzaku pulled him closer, stroked his hair and neck, and prayed, _prayed_ that the doctors would be with them soon.

It felt like forever, even though it _did_ take only about forty minutes, and by the time the doctors arrived with the remainder of their equipment, the contractions were coming no more than three to four minutes apart, with Lelouch gasping badly enough to keep Suzaku on edge even as Julianna examined him and did a quick assessment of the situation.

"So far so good. You're progressing a little quickly but the baby's heartbeat is normal, everything looks fine. You're doing great."

"- Wonderful." Lelouch was able to rasp before clamping his eyes shut again as another wave took hold.

Suzaku, next to him and currently (still) being grasped for support while he applied counter-pressure to Lelouch's lower back, swallowed and wasn't too surprised to hear how hoarse his own voice was as well. "When can he get the spinal?"

"In just a little while more." Julianna reassured him. "We'll have to ready a few more things before Marc can administer it properly. I'll need you both to continue to remain calm so you can understand my instructions."

'Just a little while more' sounded like a long time considering how things had been going for the past hour, but if the Britannians had learned anything from the Japanese it was efficiency, and having been in the royal service for all those years, Marc and Julianna were Britannian Efficiency at its finest. Julianna gave whatever instructions she had clearly, too - which helped to take both their minds off the stress a little, because suddenly they had a good number of questions to answer and things to do. Change into this shift, help him sit here, let me clip this there, when was the last meal, does it hurt if I do this - and Suzaku had always been good at following orders, while Lelouch wasn't exactly about to argue (and was in no shape to argue, anyway) with someone who was going to deliver his baby and who was currently also sounding like a wise but _very_ stern midwife.

In ten minutes they had Lelouch on IV and all necessary equipment hooked up to him and already running, in slightly under fifteen minutes Suzaku was helping Lelouch hold still and keep his shift up while the doctors administered the injection to his spine - and in twenty minutes Lelouch was fully numb from waist down, and under the knife.

Shielded from the rest of the procedure by the small, low curtain Marc and Julianna had set up across half the bed, most of what Suzaku could do after that was simply sit by the mattress, hold Lelouch's hand and look on helplessly, while trying not to worry further at the faint smell of blood slowly filling the room, or at the thought of whatever was going on behind the veil.

The lull of activity did give him enough time to settle and finally, fully realize that OhGods Lelouchwashavingthebabynow, _theywerehavingthebabyrightno w_ - not that this did much to help his current state of mind, of course.

Lelouch, on the other hand, already exhausted from having to endure the contractions prior - and decidedly calmer now - was quite happy to lie back and rest against the pillows, subconsciously intertwining his fingers with Suzaku's.

Suzaku brought their clasped hands to his lips, pressed a kiss to Lelouch's knuckles and afforded him a smile, but it came out looking more uncertain than reassuring and Lelouch grinned, sensing the tension that was still in him and whispering in gentle reproach.

"For Gods' sakes, Suzaku." Okay, Lelouch did look like he wanted to sigh a little, too. "Stop doing that. You deserve a break."

Suzaku's smile was a little woeful. "Can't help it."

Lelouch gave a short, quiet laugh. "I'm _fine_." He squeezed Suzaku's hand gently, knowing that Suzaku was still very concerned. But Lelouch could hardly feel anything from his lower half now, in any case. "There's some tugging and pulling, but that's it." Again he circled his thumb over the back of Suzaku's hand, still smiling. "We'll all be fine."

"That's right." Marc looked up over the curtain for a brief moment, eyes reassuring above the line of his surgical mask. "So far everything's going well. Try not to worry yourself too much."

But if the wait for the doctors' arrival had felt like forever, then the thirty minutes since the start of the operation were still the longest thirty minutes of Suzaku's life.

The constant, tiny beeping of the monitor which was translating both Lelouch's and the baby's heartbeats helped to calm him a bit after awhile, but above that noise sometimes the doctors would murmur to each other, directing or discussing, and Suzaku would look up nervously each time, only to have either doctor reassure him that they were still doing just fine.

Lelouch, who'd closed his eyes after awhile, would still open them occasionally too, smiling despite his tiredness and giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

"...Will you relax?" He murmured once, reaching up to touch Suzaku's face, and at least this time when Suzaku smiled back, it was less shaky.

"I'm trying, you know..."

Lelouch laughed very softly, and closed his eyes again, lacing their fingers back together.

And then - Suzaku thought he was imagining it at first, but it looked like there was quickened movement from behind the curtain - then there was no doubt about it, because Julianna breathed, "There we go..."

And a second later, as if in the first waking moments from a dream - there was the clear, ringing cry of a living, newly born infant.

Beyond the curtain Suzaku, heart in his throat, glimpsed her drawing it fully out with steady hands, umbilical cord, fluid and all, and -

"You have a princess," They both heard the smile in her voice over the baby's cries, and Lelouch, who'd raised his head at the first cry, settled back into the pillows with a tired but immensely triumphant smirk... which he of course directed straight at Suzaku.

And Suzaku... well, Suzaku couldn't care less, really, already overjoyed and near speechless and almost showering him with kisses - on his nose, his forehead, his ears, his mouth. "We did it," he whispered, as though still having trouble believing it. "You did it, we did it... we _all_ did it."

Lelouch smiled, threading a hand through Suzaku's hair. "We did."

The doctors, meanwhile, had already snipped the cord and Julianna was wiping the baby clean with warm water from one of the basins - and before either of them quite knew it Suzaku was helping Lelouch sit up a little more so that he could still receive the baby without interfering with the stitching Marc had begun on - and Julianna was transferring their daughter, wrapped snugly in towels and swaddling cloth, gently into his arms.

She was so small, so small and pink and fair, lovely even with her wrinkled skin and puffy eyes, still shut as her cries slowly ebbed. Her hair - raven like Lelouch's own - covered her little head in thin, soft down and eventually as Lelouch adjusted his hold on her and brought her closer still, she stopped struggling and came to rest quietly against his chest with the tiniest hiccup.

There were many emotions which went through Lelouch then - warmth, joy, fear, relief - but above all, his love, surging fresh and flooding into his entire being as he gazed down at her.

"Oh," Suzaku whispered from beside him, hoarse. "Lelouch... She's perfect." And Lelouch exchanged the warmest smile with him, knowing exactly what he meant.

"...We need a name." He told him softly.

Suzaku's laugh was still a little shaky from the magnitude of emotion which had flooded through him, too. "I don't..." He began. He did have a few in mind, but none right now seemed to him like a very right fit for their precious little one now in Lelouch's arms. And from the look on Lelouch's face Suzaku had a feeling that Lelouch had already thought of something long before, but had kept silent about it because he'd been waiting for this moment to see if it was... _right_. "What do you think?"

"How about a name that will sound both Japanese... and Britannian?"

...That was possible. There were a few. "But... what?"

Lelouch's smile was fond and his voice a hush. "Yuuhi."

And Suzaku understood within a heartbeat. _Euphemia._

"Also for its meaning, in Japanese."

It almost seemed destined. Suzaku looked out the window and at the warming, gentle hues of the sky, murmuring softly in affirmation, "The evening sun."

It was perfect. Perfect in every way like their newborn daughter herself, and Suzaku could feel his heart throbbing - almost _aching_ with pride and joy and the bittersweet as he kissed Lelouch's cheek with a whisper.

"It's beautiful."

Lelouch gently fingered their baby's nose. "Kururugi Yuuhi vi Britannia." He murmured, smiling. "Welcome to the world, little one."

"Sounds lovely indeed. And that was fast." Julianna glanced up briefly from the stitching she was now helping her husband with, voice lightly joking. "I must say most of the other royals had a tendency to engage in long debates over who to name the new baby after."

"Well they're not your typical royals now, are they?" Marc replied jovially, and both Suzaku and Lelouch smiled at the doctors, realizing that in their first few moments of joy they'd almost completely forgotten that they were even there. "We're almost done here." Marc took the moment to inform them. "Just awhile more, Your Majesty."

"Certainly." Lelouch acknowledged, and then he was shifting the baby slowly in his arms and giving Suzaku a meaningful smile. "Suzaku."

Suzaku's breath caught a little in his throat. But he accepted her readily - carefully, so very carefully lifting her from Lelouch's arms and cradling her in his own. A second of displeasure crossed her tiny features at the disruption, but then she was nestled properly against him and in the crook of his arms, and all was right again.

Yuuhi. Suzaku's heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he was almost certain the baby could hear it too. To his surprise, however, she turned subtly toward him and into his warmth, seemingly content, and when Suzaku finally found his voice again, it was a hushed, enthralled whisper of joy.

"Hello there, little princess."

"That's your father," Lelouch said softly from beside him, and Suzaku glanced back up to see him smiling too, eyes warm and serene and filled with undeniable love as they beheld their little one.

She really was perfect; half his and half Lelouch's, ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, her nose a little button on her face and... "Oh Lelouch, look." Suzaku found himself grinning, voice soft. "She does have your lashes."

Because there they were, unmistakable on her still-firmly-shut eyelids, thick and dark and lovely, and Lelouch hummed low in his throat, still smiling - before his hand went to Suzaku's shoulder, drawing his attention back to the baby. "-_Suzaku._"

Her eyelids had started to move - fluttering a little, then just a little more - and in one breathtaking moment she was opening them to squint up at Suzaku, with irises the exact same shade of green as his own.

She blinked, blearily, and Suzaku held his breath as she stirred, blinking again - but nothing - _nothing_ had could have ever prepared Suzaku for the way she made his heart stop when she finally focused on his face, opened her mouth with a small smile, and cooed, as if saying hello in return, as if - as if saying -

Something had lodged itself in his throat, tears were welling unbidden in his eyes, and Suzaku, almost trembling, bent to press a kiss tenderly, as tenderly as he could, to her forehead, feeling the tears already starting to slip down his cheeks.

"Hello," his voice was choked and hoarse but it didn't matter, nothing else in that moment mattered anymore and he knew he was smiling with unspeakable joy as he swallowed and gently kissed the tiny fists she was waving at him too. "_Hello._"

She cooed again, small and short, and there was pride written in every manner on Lelouch's face as Suzaku shifted closer to him, hoping it'd be near enough for the baby to see him as well.

"...And that's Mommy," he whispered. "Say hi."

Upon the movement of his arms her eyes did shift to look... slowly, right at Lelouch's own warm gaze, and Lelouch was greeted with another shy, if not delighted, little smile and a tiny squeak.

Lelouch laughed softly and reached to stroke her cheek gently with a knuckle. "Yes my little one."

She cooed yet again at the touch, kicking a little - and taking Suzaku slightly by surprise when one foot connected solidly (more solidly than he'd expected) with the flesh on his arm.

"That _is_ a strong kick you've got there," Suzaku told her laughingly, and Lelouch's grin was priceless.

"_Now_ you know."

"We're all done." Marc's voice announced then, and in short order he and Julianna were sorting equipment, removing the makeshift curtain and the extra sheets they'd placed on the bed, and giving Lelouch a fresh set of blankets.

Julianna pulled down her surgical mask to reveal a motherly smile. "You can invite the rest in now if you want to. But do it soon. She'll be wanting to close those eyes again soon enough."

Lelouch exchanged glances with Suzaku, then looked to her and nodded.

"...We're doing fine, right?" Suzaku asked them for good measure, just to be sure. "Do we look... okay?"

"You look just like new parents," Julianna reassured them, pausing at the doorway to add with a warm smile, "Overjoyed and scared shitless."

She opened the door and over in the living room Nunnally and Sayoko (who had since arrived) straightened from their board game and C.C., too, looked up from the couch she'd stretched herself across.

"You can come in now, the baby's awake. They're all waiting to see you."

All three looked at one another. Nunnally's face had lit up like the sun and Sayoko was the first to rise, promptly getting behind her chair to wheel her into the room, and C.C. rolled off the couch and followed.

And the sight as they entered, of course, was ever heartwarming. Lelouch and Suzaku both looked wearied, but radiant all the same and it was easy to see why. There in Suzaku's arms was the reward of the last few hours of anxiousness and almost nine months of waiting - a tiny head of soft dark hair nestled snugly against his chest.

"Oh my," Nunnally breathed, almost inaudibly, staring into curious green eyes and extending a hand to delicately caress the baby's cheek, already feeling the beginnings of overjoyed tears pricking her own eyes.

"It's a princess," Suzaku murmured helpfully - but also softly, not wanting to break the moment, and Lelouch smiled from beside him in affirmation.

Nunnally glanced at Sayoko - and even C.C. had fondness unmistakably in the corners of her mouth now as they all got a closer look at the little one. "Do you... have a name for her yet?"

"Indeed we do." Lelouch answered, exchanging yet another warm smile with Suzaku, who turned to look at him.

And when Suzaku gazed upon his daughter again it was filled with both humbled wonderment and glowing pride all at once. "Her name's Yuuhi."

"_Oh_," whispered Nunnally.

"Ah." smiled Sayoko.

"Cute." remarked C.C. with a smirk.

"That is Japanese for the sun in the evening." Sayoko took the chance to explain to Nunnally. "It is a fitting name."

"It's beautiful," Nunnally, who'd of course understood its other significance almost instantly, softly agreed.

Adjusting the baby's towels a little, Suzaku beamed at Nunnally. "Would you like to hold her?"

"I'd love to," she whispered.

And so it was that her little niece was blinking curiously up at her moments later, from the cradle of her own arms. Yuuhi let out the tiniest coo and in that moment Nunnally found herself understanding, better than ever before, her brother's love for all who were precious to him; why he'd always felt such a great need to protect at all costs, especially when she'd been younger.

Nunnally bent, carefully raising the infant a little more with her arms so she could bestow a tender kiss upon her forehead, pouring her happiness into a soft but solemn murmur, one of age-old tradition. "I, Nunnally vi Britannia, Empress and hundredth ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire, Bless you little one, in the name of the Gods. May the sun smile and the stars shine upon you, now and forevermore."

"Well then." There was a click and a flash, and C.C. grinned from behind the lens. "Since it seems we're all keeping nicely to tradition, I've got the camera."

They ended up snapping a good number of photos, even though the baby yawned and closed her eyes tight again soon after the first few shots. Back in Lelouch's arms though, she was content to rest quietly, and so their little new family got a chance to have proper photos taken with everyone, proud doctors included.

And then, just as everyone was deciding that they'd had about enough, Yuuhi stirred, her little features scrunching up into a frown. She made a small noise of discontent, which soon got everyone's full attention on her once again, and Sayoko raised her eyebrows in speculation. "Perhaps..."

The baby fidgeted some more in Lelouch's hold, kicking, and then the answer was obvious as she began trying to turn her head, as if in search of...

"Oh," Nunnally said knowingly with a soft smile.

Unsuccessful, Yuuhi let out her first cry of protest, and Julianna agreed. "Seems she's hungry. Do you have feeding bottles ready, or...?"

"I'll do it." Lelouch said quietly. A slow smile passed between him and Suzaku, who gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "I'll nurse."

Julianna acknowledged this with a clear nod and Sayoko took the cue and initiative quickly, as always.

"Perhaps we should give them some privacy." She suggested gently, stopping by Nunnally's chair.

C.C. snorted at that, but she was smiling, and Nunnally nodded understandingly before sending a warm smile of encouragement Lelouch and Suzaku's way too.

And so Sayoko and C.C. brought Nunnally out, and Lelouch and Suzaku were left alone once again with the doctors and the baby, who by now was fidgeting constantly and making enough upset whimpers to sound like she was going to start wailing any minute.

"Do you know what to do?" Marc asked.

"I... think so." Lelouch looked to Suzaku for a moment.

Suzaku gave a small smile and nodded, helping him slide the shift down one shoulder whilst he attempted to soothe the now-fretful child in his arms. Lelouch shushed her, low and gentle, running a thumb tenderly over a balled fist, and she quieted momentarily, allowing him to lean back a little and let Suzaku slide a hand over his exposed skin. Suzaku's touch was discreet, subtly intimate - his thumb circling the area around Lelouch's nipple in gentle stimulation, and Lelouch flushed lightly despite himself - but it wasn't until Suzaku was propping the pillows behind him and adding yet another under the cradle of his arms for extra support that Lelouch's pulse really started to quicken in apprehension.

Slowly he shifted the baby in his arms - supporting her neck carefully, turning her a little more toward him, drawing her level with his chest. Lelouch knew how to do this. He knew. He'd spent the past few months reading extensively about it and also becoming convinced that it was entirely possible despite his limitations when compared to most women. Still, none of his preparation was quite enough to help get rid of the familiar worry as it returned full force.

Would there be enough? He certainly didn't have breasts - he didn't have what most mothers had - would there even be anything? What if he wasn't even producing, what if she didn't latch on properly, would...

"Try to relax," Julianna's voice instructed, steady and calming. "Lean back and bring her in a bit more - That's right."

It was... mesmerizing, and terrifying, all at once - the way Yuuhi seemed to pick up his cues for her to move forward even with her eyes closed and instinctively did so, till her lips brushed against the nipple and she parted them - but then - as Lelouch gave her the last gentle nudge forward - then she was latching on, and then there was her first suckle, small and strange...

It was alright. This was alright, probably. Lelouch wasn't exactly feeling anything else yet, but one of her fists had come to rest lightly on his chest, and at least she seemed to have latched on properly and was now suckling in earnest, her body pressed softly against his, and - oh. _Oh._

His relief must have been obvious, because Suzaku let out a similar sigh from beside him, grinning, and from their watchful point at the edge of the bed the doctors smiled too, Julianna nodding her approval.

He was nursing the baby well enough, then. _She_ was nursing well enough. Lelouch gazed down at her, at her eyelids, closed but fluttering subtly in content as she suckled - tiny, tender, but steady - and realized he couldn't ask for a moment more perfect than this.

Warmth overwhelming coursed through him; by his side Suzaku wrapped them both in slender but secure arms, Lelouch shared a look of quiet joy with him and for a long, long while, they knew nothing else.

* * *

_Notes:_

_1. "Yuuhi" is written _夕日 _in Japanese, and does indeed mean "evening sun" or "sunset". I should probably mention that I don't like the character Euphemia all that much... but our boys obviously do, so there we go. It seemed the most suitable name to give. (Don't worry though, the baby will be nothing like Euphy - she's probably going to be more like Suzaku than anything else, minus all the angst. Remember, she spin-kicks ;D)_

_2. To my knowledge, C-sections in the real world usually take place with the assistance of at least 4 to 5 medical staff (you need a surgeon, an anaesthetician, the ob/gyn, etc etc). That would obviously have been very troublesome to write, though, so assume advancement and more innovation in the medical procedures of the Geass universe or something._

_3. I also believe most mothers going in for a C-section actually have to have their arms (and possibly legs) clamped to the operating table during the surgery, to prevent sudden knee-jerk reactions from their limbs or something. Not sure if you'll be allowed to hold your baby before they finish stitching you back up, too - in real life, anyway. (At the most, I think they put the little one on your chest so you can see it while you wait.) Again, for purposes of this story, ASSUME ADVANCEMENT IN BRITANNIAN MEDICINE - and also Marc's Super Surgeon Skillz. So that whatever I've written won't seem too unrealistic ;P_

_4. Sorry if the breastfeeding thing took some of you by surprise! (Actually no, I'm not that sorry ahahah) Some people did ask for that in their earlier reviews, though, and I did want to give it a go, so tadaa. Thank you to any of you who took the time to express your opinions! Those were most encouraging. HOWEVER, please note that I couldn't find much helpful info on the internet about whether you actually need to prepare the breasts/nipples right before a feed. I've read that gentle massage can help stimulate the let-down of milk, though, so considering Lelouch's, uhm, doubts about his physical "adequacy", I decided that throwing that bit in might make things a bit more believable. (Also, there are so few recorded cases of men breastfeeding, so I have no idea whether breastfeeding long-term may cause males in real life to develop a bit more tissue in their chest area. But of course, THIS here is fiction, so that certainly won't be happening to Lelouch, because that would be TOO awkward and I'm already pushing the limits of "awkward" as it is.)_

_5. **And NO, this is not the end! **Okay, it wasn't intended as the end, but the problem now is that I'll be so busy with university life that I doubt I'll have the time or patience to properly continue. I do have more things already planned for this, though (about 2 more chapters worth of adventures in early parenthood) and I still know exactly how I want to end it proper, so I'm going to propose the following: For the next chapter, I will post the scenes I've already written (plus those I find enough motivation to write), and they will be interspersed accordingly among summaries/"plot placeholders" of the scenes which I have in mind, but won't be writing. It may end up looking like a more organized version of my story notes/drafts. The final scene has already been written long ago, for instance, so the only problem I can foresee with this is whether fanfiction dot net's regulations/guidelines allow for an update like this. I'll try and figure it out - but anyway even if such a thing isn't allowed here, I can always just post the final scene as a sort of epilogue, upload the full thing somewhere else, and link you all to it in the author's notes. Tell me what you think about such an arrangement!_

**_ETA, 27 Oct 2012: I still don't have a lot of time, but the good news is that I think I have regained quite a fair bit of motivation, so you might not have to worry about getting a summarized/truncated version of the final 1 or 2 chapters after all. I should have something ready in another couple of months!_**

_Lastly, a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have stuck with me/the boys till now. Your reviews/messages/support mean a lot to me! I still read every single one of them!_

_**And of course, MERRY CHRISTMAS once again! Hope everyone had a great year, and I hope especially that this update has added to or brought you some holiday cheer. Reviews do make excellent Christmas presents, too! ;D **Much love to all of you. Muah._


	8. Chapter 8

_I apologize profusely for such a long wait! __This was supposed to be up shortly before Christmas, but well, better late than never._

_The other piece of good news is: I managed to find enough motivation to write out most of what I had in mind, so the scene/summary thing mentioned in my end notes for the previous chapter is no longer an issue. You'll get the full thing, here and now! (With bonus sex, too, hurrhurr, if you'll stick around - because I felt like writing it.) Thanks so much for all your reviews! They mean a lot to me._

* * *

Eight

Suzaku had come to understand a new level of fear when he'd watched Yuuhi sleeping in her crib for the first time. For months Lelouch had carried her tiny form safe within him, the feel of her movements in his belly the only physical connection afforded to Suzaku while he'd waited - but now suddenly here she was, in flesh and blood and every bit _his_ as much as she was Lelouch's. A perfect, fragile, precious thing he could cradle in his arms and hold and so very carefully kiss while she yawned feebly and turned toward his warmth.

While she'd dreamed Suzaku had watched that little chest going up and down, up and down, and understood then the measure of panic which would seize him whole if those tiny breaths were to ever somehow stop. Here was a whole new life, _theirs_ to watch over, and the weight and recognition of responsibility - of the knowledge that it would only be the first night of many to come - had set in, heavy and daunting. And yet, standing there in that moment, Suzaku had still known beyond a doubt that he would never want to trade places with anyone else in the world.

He'd stood there in hushed wonderment, learning what it was like to feel new love - for so long, in fact, that Sayoko had eventually had to come in and chase him to sleep, "Or you'll never get any rest tonight," she'd said.

She did have a point. Lelouch, spent from labor and drowsy from the pain medication, had been advised to take a full, undisturbed night's rest, and had given in early in the evening, leaving the baby in Suzaku's and Sayoko's capable hands (and under the watch of the doctors, just in case) until he'd had more time to recuperate.

And so consequentially, it was Suzaku's messy hair and strained eyes and a lopsided affectionate smile that greeted Lelouch the next morning, shortly after he'd opened his own eyes.

"Good morning, Mommy." Suzaku smelled like coffee, his voice soft and a little scratchy from lack of sleep. Lelouch smiled.

"Good morning to you too, Daddy." He took in the sight of Suzaku's face proper as the latter sat down on the chair by the bed - saw the effects of the day before and of what had most likely not been a very restful night, and felt his smile quickly turn into a smirk. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks," Suzaku grinned, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the cheek and returning the teasing insult with ease. "So do you."

There was a knock on the door, before Julianna discreetly poked her head in to check on them - which was when Lelouch also realized that he'd already been freed of everything which he'd been hooked up to the day before. The doctor smiled warmly. "Morning. I hope I'm not interrupting anything. The baby's doing fine - how're you feeling?"

_"Well enough,"_ Lelouch was about to respond when he shifted to sit up a little more - and a white hot pain shot up from his lower body where only a mild soreness had been earlier, searing his vision for a half-second and leaving him gasping and stifling a cry. _That_ hadn't quite been expected, though on hindsight he really should've seen it coming. Lelouch blamed what remained of his grogginess in the morning.

"...Like I need a dozen different painkillers," was what he rasped instead, biting a lip and focusing on Suzaku's worried hold on his arm in a bid to steady himself.

"- Easy Lelouch, I think you might've moved too fast..."

"No shit."

Julianna came over, knowing but firm. "If you find it unbearable, I can always administer another dosage, but at this point we normally advise mothers to try getting up and overcoming it once. It's always more manageable after the first try - and of course, with all due respect, I'm not quite in favor of encouraging an overdependence on drugs."

That made sense, despite the throbbing pain that was still nagging at him (though it had died down a little now that he'd stopped short in his movements) - and Lelouch did want to be able to _walk_ to see their baby as soon as he could, too. "Is there anything I shouldn't be...?"

"No sudden movements and you should be fine. Breathe easy."

"-Right." Lelouch steadied himself again, half-upright and propped on an elbow as he was, steeling his nerves and looking to Suzaku, who nodded.

_I'm here for you._

Of course. Suzaku had always been, ever since Lelouch had knighted him as his own in the thought elevator years ago, and always was - and those were the things Lelouch ended up focusing on to distract himself from the protest his abdomen was making as he slowly eased himself up. Still, it was bad - sharp and different from the contractions the day before and even from the sword wound while that had been healing. Bad enough that he slumped gratefully into Suzaku for support once he did manage to sit and move his legs to hang them over the side of the bed, though thankfully not terrible enough to draw more noise from him. Suzaku still ran his hands soothingly up and down his back and pressed a few tender kisses against his neck, which helped.

The dry, shaky laugh Lelouch finally let out was cut short, too, as even _that_ seemed to strain his stitches again. "This is worse than the wound from the Requiem."

Julianna's look was sympathetic. "Your body shut down for six whole days to recover from that. It's barely been one in this case. Though if you've managed it this far, it's likely you'll be walking around without help by this evening. Which is more than I can say for some mothers."

"That's good news," Lelouch managed a smile at her encouragement, the throbbing subsiding again now that he was holding himself still, though he was certain that it would start once more the moment he tried moving again.

No matter. He'd manage. He hadn't moved much for almost two days even after waking up from his fake death, so this was definitely already an improvement over the surgery two years ago. There was, after all, substantially more motivation to get up this time. "...And the baby?" Lelouch asked Suzaku softly.

Suzaku smiled. "Sleeping. I just fed her again about an hour ago." His hands wrapped a little more supportively around Lelouch's shoulders. "Wanna see her?"

"...If my feet will co-operate," Lelouch remarked dryly, giving his toes a tentative wiggle just to make sure they were in working order. Most of the sensation still hadn't returned to the lower half of his body before he'd fallen asleep the day before, though it certainly seemed to be back now, if the way he was made to wince when he put one foot down to slowly stand was any indication.

"- Easy, easy..." Suzaku coaxed, holding him steady while Lelouch simultaneously clung to him for balance.

Slowly. Small breaths. One foot, then another. ...There, that wasn't so bad. Lelouch was at least standing now, and walking one small step at a time, though his stitches still protested with almost every shift of his muscles and the pace was... well. Excruciatingly slow.

"You're doing more than fine for now," Julianna, who had stepped back to observe them quietly like a nurse on standby (just in case) interjected, before smiling knowingly again. "I won't stop you, of course, if you want to try walking all the way to the next room."

"I could carry you there," Suzaku offered, benevolent, still helping Lelouch along with one hand on his arm and the other on his waist. Lelouch huffed and glared a little.

"You'll do no such thing."

As it was, though, it took them long enough and it hurt enough and was tiring enough that he gave in at the sight of the crib when they finally, _finally_ reached the doorway of their room, allowing Suzaku to lift him gently - never mind the extra pull that still put on his surgical wound for the moment - and carry him bridal-style the rest of the way, till they were both gazing down at their sleeping daughter, so small and her features a delicate expression of calm in her slumber.

"...It's hard to look away, isn't it." Suzaku whispered after a long moment, smiling a little.

"Yeah." Lelouch knew exactly what he meant. Maybe that was partly why Suzaku seemed to have gotten so little sleep the night before, too. And it was hard, fighting the urge to reach out and caress her cheek, her tiny fists - lest he rouse her. But oh, she was beautiful, and she was theirs, and Lelouch could feel his heart swelling once again with love and pride.

"Uhm," Suzaku took the moment to add softly. "C.C.'s kind of... gone ahead and invited everyone down... today. Should I get her to tell them not to come just yet? I mean, with you still getting reaccustomed to walking and all -"

Lelouch glanced at him, then back at their baby, and with Suzaku's steady arms still holding him and their daughter such a perfect picture of peace, it was hard not to feel optimistic right then. He smiled. "I think we can manage."

* * *

Five hours later, Lelouch found himself seriously reconsidering his decision. It wasn't even because Yuuhi was giving them a lot of trouble - she'd been a very good, minimally fretful baby by far if the many other stories of new parenthood he'd come across were anything to go by - it was just getting a little difficult not to be overwhelmed, both physically and mentally. First there'd been the trouble freshening up - getting _into_ the shower itself had been a bit of a problem, let alone trying to shower without getting the dressing for his wound wet, then the baby had wanted to feed, then their friends had started arriving, and while the company had been most welcome and while they even had the help of Sayoko and Nunnally and the doctors, he and Suzaku had pretty much been kept busy with one thing or another ever since.

Alright, so maybe he'd underestimated himself just a little, but gods, Lelouch needed to sleep. The prospect was certainly tempting at the moment, here in a small pocket of quiet at last, where Nunnally and Sayoko were seeing the last of their guests (Milly and Rivalz) out and even the doctors were in the temporary guest room getting some well-deserved rest. The problem, however, was that he'd just finished nursing Yuuhi for the third time that day, settled back into his own bed with Suzaku, and while she thankfully hadn't brought up any milk this time and had drifted off snug against his chest shortly after - so had Suzaku, having laid down next to Lelouch for a quick rest while waiting for Lelouch to finish the feed.

The idea _had_ been for Suzaku to help him carry the baby back to the crib once she was done, after which they'd all be able to get some much-needed rest. But Suzaku already seemed so very sound asleep, hair in a tousled mess on the pillow and snoring lightly with every breath (Lelouch had shared a bed with him for more than long enough by now to know that Suzaku only snored, softly, when tired) - and Lelouch was reluctant to wake him, despite the fact that it was presently still impossible for him to carry the baby and get up by himself at the same time, given his stitches. Vaguely he wondered how many hours of sleep Suzaku had actually been able to catch the night before, as he looked fondly upon his husband. Not that many hours, probably, if their experience feeding and changing nappies and cleaning baby vomit from their shoulders since the day had begun was to be any indication.

_You're going to be quite a handful for awhile, aren't you, little one._ Tired though he was, however, Lelouch still found himself smiling down at the infant sleeping in his arms, with her rosy cheeks and tiny breaths and one of her little fists still curled softly against his skin.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to let Suzaku sleep a little longer.

"Feeling the drain already, are we?" Well, having C.C. show up in such a timely manner worked, too.

She stood, leaning against the doorframe and observing them with a smirk, and Lelouch, being in no position to argue, could only give a small and grateful smile as she stepped forward to take the baby carefully from him.

He eased himself gently back down under the covers and watched as she tucked the baby in; it was probably unlikely that C.C. herself had ever been a mother before (and if she had she certainly hadn't said anything) but C.C. could handle the child with sure hands and there was a spark of fondness in her gaze which was still clear to the discerning.

"C.C.," Lelouch called her quietly as she made to leave, and she turned with a slightly quizzical look and walked back to his side.

"What?"

"...I know I said I'd say this only once." The time in the caves, in the mountains, when she'd saved him and when he'd first learned her name felt distant and so very long ago, now, but Lelouch could still remember with clarity what he'd told her then. He reached to touch her hand, smiling. "Thank you." The words were soft. "For everything."

For all she'd done for him, for listening to him and standing by him up till now, for the precious, precious gift she'd unwittingly given him and Suzaku which they hadn't known they'd wanted and for her willingness to help them in all the little things, like she'd just done. For all of these - despite all the trouble the past few months had brought and all the trouble even now - Lelouch was grateful.

C.C. smiled, and it was a knowing one. "Growing up just fine aren't you, boy?" was all she said, and a look of warmth and mutual understanding passed between them both before she leaned to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Get some rest." A smirk. "It's only going to get worse from here."

At that Lelouch let out a soft snort, though from the smiles which were exchanged between them once again, it was clear to them both - that it was all going to be well and perfectly worth it.

* * *

All things considered, Lelouch and Suzaku settled into their new routine pretty quickly. The doctors hadn't needed to stay on call for more than three days, having given Yuuhi the necessary vaccinations and having also ascertained that there weren't any problems with both the baby and Lelouch's recovery. And with Sayoko so graciously helping with the housework as well as some of the childcare during the adjustment period, Lelouch and Suzaku were able - in a circumstance they were aware they were very fortunate to have - to focus most of their energies on looking after the baby.

At times, of course, it was still difficult to get proper rest, even with Suzaku helping with bottle-feeding every now and then, and even with them sharing the workload for everything else - because both Suzaku and Lelouch had quickly grown sensitive to the smallest cry from their little one, and often a cry while both of them were sleeping easily meant that both parents would wake. Initially, while Lelouch's wound from the operation healed, any feed meant that Suzaku had to get up too, so that he could help bring the baby to Lelouch and put her back to sleep when the nursing was done. But they'd both quickly learned to grab what sleep they could in the day time as well, which of course helped considerably, though the work was still exhausting.

Being Yuuhi's main source of sustenance for the time being meant that Lelouch had to continue making sure he ate enough for the both of them. It was something that came naturally - he'd be hungrier at mealtimes and would drink more, too - but he hardly minded. For such a small person, their baby suckled steady and reassuringly strong, and there wasn't a moment in which Lelouch didn't feel a tender, loving warmth for the child he was holding gently against him. In any case, as far as things were going, he was already fast losing the little excess weight he'd put on during the pregnancy, and the milk had yet to run dry, for which Lelouch was both secretly relieved and grateful.

He wore a few of Suzaku's yukata often, especially after having ascertained their practicality when it came to breastfeeding. Lelouch's nipples had been rather sore and tender for the first few days following the birth, unused to all the increased stimulation, and the clothing did make things slightly more comfortable for him when he wore it loosely and when it brushed less against the places which were now a lot more sensitive. The sashes provided some extra support for his surgical wound, and, most importantly - nursing came with a lot less fumbling and was made a lot easier with how he only had to loosen the garment a little further before bringing Yuuhi's tiny head in to let her feed.

She was a relatively contented baby, too, rarely fussing for long periods and often at ease with bright eyes and soft coos and gurgles when she was awake. They took lots of photos, naturally. Yuuhi did still kick rather firmly, though, whenever she seemed excited or when she _did_ seem grumpy, much to Lelouch's continued fond amusement, especially now that Suzaku was on the receiving end as much as he was.

By the first few sleepless nights and wet nappies and rounds of regurgitated milk they'd also realized how to distinguish a hungry cry from one that meant something else, and attending to the little one more efficiently meant more sleep for all of them and also a much more relaxed and comfortable baby, much to Suzaku's and Lelouch's happy relief.

Sometime over three weeks into their new lives as parents, however, there came an afternoon where Yuuhi simply wouldn't fall asleep and wouldn't stop crying and fretting, no matter what they tried and no matter who carried and tried to soothe her - not Suzaku, not Nunnally, not Sayoko, not C.C., and not even Lelouch.

"She's not accepting the bottle either," Sayoko announced as Yuuhi turned her head away when the teat was touched to her lips, still making unhappy whimpers and fidgeting restlessly in her arms, eyes clamped shut.

Lelouch sighed, running a hand through his hair as the baby began to cry again. "Well it was worth a try, I suppose." Even if he'd last fed her a little over an hour ago.

Suzaku could tell that Lelouch was nearing his wits' end - in fact, they were all getting a bit worried. Yuuhi had last fed less than two hours ago and had burped fine - but she'd woken up barely a few minutes later and hadn't stopped crying since, even though nothing seemed to be the matter. The temperature on her neck felt normal, so it probably wasn't because she was feeling too hot or too cold. The nappy was clean and dry, though they'd changed that for good measure anyway. She seemed to be breathing fine and didn't seem to have been swaddled too tight, though they'd loosened the cloth further anyway. She hadn't brought up anymore air or milk when burped again - nor had she been keen when Lelouch had tried nursing her again, so she likely wasn't hungry at all yet. She refused to accept a pacifier, and no amount of rocking, soothing and carrying around by all five adults in the house had been able to quiet her for long, either. It felt as though they'd tried everything.

Was there something they weren't doing correctly, or perhaps - Gods forbid - something wrong with their daughter, which they couldn't see? She certainly _seemed_ healthy - and Suzaku did know that colicky babies were common in the early months and that it didn't necessarily mean that something was seriously wrong, so maybe this was just the first instance of it that Yuuhi was having - but gods it felt terrible not being able to do anything to soothe her.

Sayoko set the warmed bottle of milk aside and hummed lightly to the child in her arms in a repeated attempt to soothe - and Suzaku was just about to suggest that they properly measure her temperature, just to be certain she wasn't ill (even though she'd felt perfectly normal when he'd carried her earlier) when Sayoko paused, musing softly to him and Lelouch. "Perhaps she's just having trouble falling asleep and needs a bit more help than usual - have you sung to her before?"

"We've... never needed to," Lelouch admitted, hesitant. He looked doubtful, but Suzaku knew what he was thinking as Lelouch exchanged glances with him, and Suzaku gave him a wan smile. It was worth a try, too - although Suzaku couldn't really remember anything suitable himself at the moment.

Seated next to Lelouch on the couch, Nunnally touched her brother's arm gently. "What about the one Mother used to sing to us? The one you always sang for me, when we first came to Japan?"

"That's..." Something in Lelouch's eyes shifted, as though recalling something very far away. Now that Nunnally had mentioned it, Suzaku could vaguely remember something too - a memory of crouching in wet grass in the evening, overhearing Lelouch's young voice singing softly above the chirp of crickets surrounding the shrine, from a time before they'd become firm friends - but the tune was now lost to him, especially with Yuuhi's crying presently so incessant in his ears

"Don't look at me," C.C. remarked from where she was reclining, having given up and resigned herself to observing them with just the occasional commentary some time ago. "I hardly have those memorized by heart either."

But then Lelouch gave Nunnally a slow, soft smile, rising from the couch with arms outstretched as an indication for Sayoko to pass the baby back over to him. "I'll see what I can do."

Lelouch made a few hushing noises, swaying the child gently in his arms until her cries subsided a little, closed his eyes briefly and began with a note low in his chest. Yuuhi continued crying, but he kept at it, the tune returning to him with clarity as he went along, carrying her in a slow walk toward the window while he sang. And slowly, slowly, against the calm baritone of his voice, her young, distressed one grew softer, the wails growing shorter - as if she was finally recognizing, taking comfort from the constant reassurance that he was holding her, that he was _there_. And when the whimpers finally faded and her tiny features finally seemed to relax, her breaths evening - Lelouch felt relief blossom wide and warm and comforting in his own chest, too.

There were no words to what Lelouch was singing - or at least, he'd chosen to simply hum the song this time - but it was lovely and soothing, Lelouch's voice deep now, steady - no longer the voice of the young child who had become Suzaku's first real friend. And Suzaku too watched in relief as their daughter's cries finally stopped, a serene smile already on Nunnally's face as she closed her eyes to listen. Lelouch glanced at him, smiling as well as he tucked the baby closer against him, still humming and swaying a little to the slow tune. Even C.C. had a small smile which had appeared on her face, and so did Sayoko, nodding in acknowledgement when Suzaku gave her a grateful look for her suggestion.

Lelouch sang for awhile even after Yuuhi had stopped crying, until the song was done and she was asleep and breathing softly and peacefully against his chest. Eventually Suzaku came up from behind to join them, wrapping his hands around his shoulders with a small, warm smile as they watched over their daughter. Lelouch smiled back and tilted his head to let him kiss him briefly, and for all the rest of that moment, no other words were needed.

* * *

As the days passed, their lives remained just as busy, even though there was of course a gradual change in a lot of things. By the second month, things had more or less reached a stage manageable enough that Sayoko only had to drop by a few times a week. Nunnally had had to return her attention to governmental matters much earlier, but she still visited almost every weekend. The doctors checked on them every now and then, too, just to make sure Lelouch and the baby were doing fine. Yuuhi was awake more often now, and loved attention and to be kept occupied while she was so. Soon she'd learned to grasp on to Lelouch's or Suzaku's fingers with her tiny hands, beaming up and gurgling at them with no small amount of charm as she did so. The hair on her head had started to grow a little, too, soft and with the same slight curls Suzaku had. For convenience, Lelouch kept it short and in order with an occasional trim.

Time flew and Yuuhi grew fast. It wasn't long before she was able to sit up on her own and before they were blending soft foods to add to her meals, before they could pick her up and hold her in the air above them, laughing as she rewarded them with delighted giggles in turn - and it certainly didn't feel as though a long time had passed when Suzaku finally resumed his role as Zero, although it had definitely been several months by the time he officially returned to Nunnally's side. It was, as expected, difficult having to leave Lelouch and their daughter - having to leave _family, home_ - sometimes for two to three days on end, but the people still needed a figure to look to for reassurance and hope, and neither Lelouch nor Suzaku were about the jeopardize the situation they'd so painstakingly built, especially not when they'd already been blessed with a healthy, happy child and so much more they could ever have asked for.

And Yuuhi was a keen observer and a fast learner. She'd quickly become fascinated with spoons during her mealtimes and was sometimes more interested in figuring out how to grasp and use the utensil instead of actually eating her food. It hadn't taken her long, either, to begin exploring all the different patterns and multicolored structures she could stack her building blocks into. At times she seemed to like to push and crawl after the large cylindrical ones as they rolled on the floor, cooing contentedly as she went and stopping to look up and smile (toothlessly) at Lelouch whenever her crawling adventures brought her to the couch where he was reading or reclining. Lelouch, of course, would reward her in kind.

By this time she'd also already begun forming simple syllables in her speech, though it was still early, on average, for her to be connecting them together or associating them with specific things. One of the first syllables she _did_ appear to make some sort of connection to was "-ma," said with a coo one morning as Suzaku was holding her on his lap while Lelouch was blowing on a teaspoon of porridge to feed to her - not all that surprising, though it hadn't been expected at that moment, and Lelouch bent to rub his nose against hers with a loving smile while they both showered her with affirmative praises. Lelouch had never had much issue with being addressed as a mother (after all, he'd earned the title as far as he was concerned, and while they did consider teaching her to call them by name instead, it was far more practical to aim for something simpler at first, so the idea hadn't been entertained for long) so they continued referring to him as such.

Interestingly enough, however, the first full word she formed which made clear sense to them was mumbled while she was mostly asleep a few days later. Suzaku had been carrying her against him and she'd been dozing off in the quiet afternoon heat with her head on his shoulder, when she shifted a little in his arms, the murmur soft but clear and unmistakable in his ear - "Dada,"

Suzaku almost started in surprise; Lelouch, who'd been reading at the time, heard it too and looked up from his book, eyes wide. Yuuhi simply continued sleeping, drooling a little as she was still prone to do and oblivious to the happy grins her parents were now giving each other. Lelouch came up to gently smooth her hair without waking her and kiss her forehead - followed by a tiny tear which had slipped involuntarily out the corner of Suzaku's eye when he blinked and was now rolling down his cheek.

"Hush, love." A teasing whisper, as he smiled at Suzaku. '_Or you'll wake her__,__' _went unspoken, but Lelouch's look was fully understanding.

"I know," Suzaku mouthed back, still smiling too, through the wetness in his eyes. He held his daughter carefully and close. _I know_.

If all went well, however, then soon enough Yuuhi wasn't going to be the only one surprising them - or at least, surprising Lelouch. With even further advancements in medicine being made in Tokyo, a final operation which bore a possible cure to her legs had recently been offered to Nunnally, and after a long deliberation the Empress had finally decided to go through with it, though she had sworn Suzaku to secrecy before doing so. She had every right to make her own decisions, of course - and Suzaku, understanding also her desire to keep Lelouch from worrying, had respected this and supported her wholly, managing to convince Lelouch that she had some unexpected important matters to attend to when she hadn't been able to visit over one particular weekend (she had in fact been in the process of recovering from a successful operation, under Cornelia's careful watch).

And this meant that eventually, while Yuuhi had slowly started to move from crawling to gripping furniture in order to stand for short moments, Nunnally was beginning her physiotherapy sessions, not that many miles away. While Lelouch was holding Yuuhi upright so she could take small little steps with his aid, Suzaku was sometimes busy in the capital helping Nunnally to relearn how to stand and do the same.

One afternoon they got a call from C.C. telling them to access the encrypted webcam channel they'd set up for communication with home (if, of course, they weren't too busy) and so they adjourned to Zero's office and did so, in time to stream over C.C.'s live recording of Lelouch guiding and guarding Yuuhi with careful, watchful hands as she let go of the seat of the dining room chair which she'd been clinging to to take one small, wobbly step on her own, and then another.

For that one moment the rest of the world faded away; Suzaku found his heart in his throat and tears pricking his eyes as he watched her venture forward. She didn't quite manage to make it a step further before she wobbled too much and fell, but Lelouch had been ever close behind and caught her on time - and when she laughed, light and as though completely undaunted, Suzaku and Nunnally laughed as well.

"Oh little one." Suzaku's voice was a little hoarse, but he was sure the transmission would carry his words through all the same. He looked at Nunnally, smiling, and found that she, too, was dabbing away at glistening eyes with a look of utter delight on her face. "Well done."

"You did wonderfully," Nunnally added, beaming.

In response, Yuuhi let out a happy squeak in the direction of their faces as she bounced a little in Lelouch's hold. Lelouch, now facing the camera as well, laughed. "We might just have a surprise waiting again for you when you return tomorrow," he grinned, then looked at their daughter. "Alright, it's time to say bye. Blow a kiss to Daddy and Aunt Nunnally?"

Yuuhi, who could understand a few simple words by now, complied by pressing a small palm to her mouth and then throwing her hand out in the general direction of the camera, and so Suzaku and Nunnally blew kisses too in return.

"Say 'bye'?" Lelouch prompted gently, still smiling.

"...Ba!" said Yuuhi after a moment's pause, her own pleased smile reappearing on her face at her perceived accomplishment, and they all laughed again.

When the video feed was finally turned off, Nunnally turned to Suzaku, a shine in her eyes as she smiled. "It might be too much to hope for right now, but maybe we can surprise them when we return tomorrow, too."

And he knew she was being realistic, given her progress relearning how to walk - which was already better than average, although she hadn't quite yet reached a stage where she could walk several steps at one stretch on her own. All the same, Suzaku smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand encouragingly and hoping that for what it was worth, Nunnally's simple wish would still be granted.

She got her chance, late the next afternoon when Lelouch brought Yuuhi out to the porch to join them for some fresh air after she woke from her nap, and Nunnally set down her book and smiled brightly at her brother and niece. "Hello, Yuuhi!"

Yuuhi recognized her and Suzaku, who was currently next to her, and smiled too, bouncing a little and reaching in their direction, which was when Lelouch set her down, stooping next to her to steady her on her feet and smiling up at them.

"Why don't we try walking to Aunt Nunnally?"

"...Oh," At that Nunnally breathed a small sound, her hand coming up to grasp Suzaku's as her eyes met his for a second and he smiled, recognizing the cue and reaching an arm around her to begin helping her to stand.

"-And Aunt Nunnally will walk to you."

"Yes-" Lelouch began echoing him on reflex before his head snapped up in disbelief. "What?"

Nunnally smiled, managing to speak even as she concentrated on balancing herself, Suzaku still supporting her. "That would be _our_ little surprise."

Lelouch's mouth had dropped open at the sight, violet eyes wide, but then Yuuhi went "Nana!", eager to start forward, and so he helped her take the first step and then let go, slowly, never far behind her tiny body just in case - and watching as Suzaku did the same with Nunnally.

Yuuhi tottered boldly forth, her large eyes bright and focused on her aunt. Nunnally stepped a little more slowly, her face displaying equal concentration and determination and her long skirt lending grace to her measured movements despite herself, but oh - the breath he realized he was holding, one precious step, one precious long second after another - if this was a dream, Lelouch never wanted it to end.

In reality his sister and daughter were only a few feet away from each other, but when Yuuhi finally stumbled forward right into Nunnally's outstretched arms and when Nunnally actually managed to pick her up, laughing and swinging her around in a little circle in the air as she spun, her hair shining in the sun and pure elation on her face - there was joy swelling almost painfully in his chest, and tears which were gathering in his vision.

Suzaku caught Nunnally gently by the shoulders, steadying her after her little spin, and she was breathless but still laughing, gently nuzzling Yuuhi's hair as a tear slipped down her cheek. Suzaku was smiling, too, his own eyes glistening, and Yuuhi, who of course didn't fully understand the situation but could see that everyone was very glad somehow, let out an exuberant "Ba, zhoom-wee!"

Lelouch joined them, delivering a kiss to both Nunnally's and Yuuhi's cheeks as his own tears began to fall. "I'm so proud of you both," he whispered when he finally managed to find his voice. "So very, very proud."

From behind Nunnally Suzaku leaned to kiss Yuuhi's forehead as well, and, exchanging looks of mutual happiness with him, Lelouch and Suzaku somehow managed to wrap their little family in an embrace between themselves.

There had never been a moment more perfect in recent memory, and from the doorway even C.C. took a moment to look up from the video camera and take in the sight with her own eyes, her smile warm and lingering as she decided, not for the first time, that it was indeed a good century to be living in.

* * *

Gradually, as Yuuhi gained the ability to start toddling around on her own, there came a new set of problems. Breakable items or things she was prone to put in her mouth to examine had to be kept out of reach of her eager and curious hands, a safety gate had to installed in the kitchen doorway so that she wouldn't wander in unnoticed during meal preparation - and, well, they pretty much had to set about child-proofing the whole house.

She was the light of both Lelouch's and Suzaku's lives, and there was a warring desire in Lelouch to show her the world and yet at the same time protect her from it - much like what he'd experienced with Nunnally - a constant need to have her watched over, to make sure everything was alright, to make sure she wasn't doing anything or putting herself in any situation which could be remotely dangerous. But what _Nunnally_ had shown him in the end, while he'd been Emperor, when she'd been swiped from under his wing and forced to make the decision to stand against him - what Nunnally had shown him in those beautiful, painful few months was how she'd truly been able to blossom, _without_ him by her side, without his worry, his concern, his protectiveness (well-meaning and loving as those had been) holding her back.

Even Marianne had allowed them a good measure of independence when they'd been young - she'd been there afterwards, always, voice firm, eyes knowing, arms comforting, but all those instances, Lelouch soon realized, had in fact been lessons she'd deliberately let them learn on their own.

And so it was difficult, at first, learning to slowly give Yuuhi room to grow and explore things on her own (even within the confines of the house) and deciding on when to step in and when not to interfere - but Yuuhi was no longer a vulnerable, defenseless infant and had soon proved just how much she was able to handle herself. As most children were, she was highly inquisitive - but also bold with a strong mind and an independent streak, and after the first few near heart attacks she'd given them: when she'd tripped while running and had almost fallen face first, or when she'd tumbled off the couch while trying to reach down and pet Arthur, or when she'd forgotten that she'd crawled under the coffee table and was still underneath it and had bumped her head hard while getting up - Lelouch and Suzaku had quickly learned that she was also as tough as a rock, rarely crying, and hardly ever fazed by minor setbacks, though she did still make faces when they tended to her little bruises and did seem to understand her parents' admonishments. Lelouch thought it fortunate, of course, that she'd been gifted with all Suzaku's hardiness, especially considering how rambunctious she could be.

By now she'd become perfectly capable of feeding herself while in the high chair, some of her independence showing itself clearly in how she didn't often like to be helped if she felt she could handle something adequately by herself. She was eating mostly pureed foods now, too, with just the daily bottle or two of formula milk. Lelouch had stopped breastfeeding about a month prior.

The question of having another child had come up briefly once or twice, now that Yuuhi was a little older, but they hadn't yet considered it long enough to arrive at any final decisions. There were no menstrual cycles, as Julianna had predicted, but because everything else seemed to be in order, the doctors' advice had been for them to take the necessary precautions anyway. It was clear that children (and even pregnancy) were a lot of hard work, after all, despite the joy they were also sure to bring.

Yuuhi seemed perfectly content even without any playmates her age around, however. C.C. enjoyed teasing her because of the indignant, fierce reactions she often gave, but ever since they'd first brought Yuuhi over to visit Jeremiah, Sayoko and Anya at the farm for a picnic together and discovered how much she'd liked that outing, C.C. sometimes thoughtfully brought her out with her as well for hay cart rides and the like, which was especially helpful whenever Lelouch and/or Suzaku needed a short break. Their friends visited sometimes, too - particularly Kallen and Gino, often bringing greetings from Milly and Rivalz and small presents from all of them - new clothes, mostly, as Yuuhi grew, and the occasional new toy.

Suzaku and Lelouch ultimately still spent the most time with their daughter, of course, as did Nunnally, whenever she was over. (She was now fully on her feet and walking fine too, much to everyone's delight.) Lelouch read to Yuuhi often, teaching her new words frequently in both English and Japanese. By the time she was slightly over two years of age she had no trouble forming simple sentences and also naming every single piece on the chessboard, a fact that both parents were rather proud of.

Of course, this also meant that there were moments which could be (or were, in fact) made a lot more awkward now that she was reaching the stage where she could communicate reasonably well and liked to ask a lot of questions. Like when the water from the shower was beating down on them one lazy afternoon and when Lelouch was trying desperately to be as quiet as possible, the gasps falling softly from his mouth as he clung to Suzaku and as Suzaku thrust into him while propping him up against the slippery bathroom wall and when there was suddenly a tiny pounding on the locked bathroom door-

"_Mo-oommy-_"

Lelouch froze immediately and so did Suzaku, their eyes locking together in momentary panic. Yuuhi was supposed to be having her afternoon nap, goddammit, hadn't he just made sure she was sound asleep fifteen minutes ago?

"Is it time to make cookies yet?"

Ah, right, he'd promised her he'd let her help him with the baking later and she was really looking forward to that - well, looking forward to making a mess with the batter, more like. "Uhm-" Lelouch scrambled to keep his voice even and form a coherent response over the noise of the shower and it didn't help that Suzaku dropped his head onto his shoulder and started laughing softly - half-nervous and half-amused at their predicament. Lelouch gave his hair a yank in an effort to make him stop. "Maybe in a little while more, alright? Let me just -"

_Finish bathing,_ he was about to say, but never quite got the chance.

"Okay! Daddy's helping too right?"

"Ah... yes, I suppose so. Yes."

"Where's Daddy? I can't find him... Is Daddy in there too?"

-What on - how had she -

...Better to just tell the truth. "-Yes he's... here. With me." And still _inside_ Lelouch and looking just as startled at how their daughter had managed to deduce his location and still panting a little against Lelouch's skin and also starting to grin sheepishly despite all of this, but she didn't need to know _that._

"Oh. Why?"

"He's - um." If it had been any _other_ circumstance Lelouch would probably have admired how she'd even noticed, at her tender young age,that her parents didn't usually take showers together, but as it was it flustered him enough that he blurted the first answer that came to mind. "He's helping me wash my hair."

...Which was half true. And half-truths were always more believable than outright lies.

"...Why?"

Purely innocent, purely curious, purely matter-of-fact. He really should have anticipated that and _would've_ anticipated that had Suzaku's cock not been so far up his ass at that moment, but _now _how was he to answer... Suzaku appeared just as helpless when Lelouch looked at him, though he was _still_ smiling sheepishly - and he even had the cheek to start moving again, just a little, nibbling at the skin on Lelouch's neck as the water continued running over them, as though he had complete confidence that Lelouch would be able to handle this all on his own _while being fucked in the shower._ Lelouch pulled himself together and shut his eyes and said, "My back's aching."

-Which was also mostly true and currently mostly Suzaku's fault due to the way Lelouch was being pressed against the hard wall and also mostly _didn't make sense_ given his first reply but she probably wouldn't know and didn't need to know all of those things either.

He was ready to breathe a sigh of relief once there came a small, slightly confused but mostly accepting response of "...Oh," from outside the bathroom, but ended up having to bite down on his lip instead when Suzaku hit a particular spot that very quickly got his softening cock interested once again.

"Can it -" _-ah,_ oh gods, Lelouch really wasn't going to be able to keep his voice steady if Suzaku kept this up and so he yanked on Suzaku's hair again, sharply this time as he hissed "_Stop it,_" before swallowing and calling back, "-Can it wait, love? Just let us finish showering and we'll... we'll get started, okay?"

Poor Lelouch was pretty certain of how deeply flushed he was at the potential scandalization of it all and Suzaku was searching his face and biting his own lip now as if to keep himself from laughing again or saying anything to her that would make it worse, but thank gods, thank gods, thank _gods_ his daughter finally, _finally_ replied with a bright, "Okay!" - and they waited until they were sure she'd gone out of the room before Lelouch finally relaxed and Suzaku gave a slow grin and kissed him leisurely, shifting a little inside him.

_This_ time Lelouch wrapped his legs tighter around him and kissed back and let Suzaku resume proper, mewling into his mouth as Suzaku found his prostate again and as everything began to pool and stir again at the base of his abdomen.

Yuuhi's interruption had killed the mood somewhat but it didn't take too long to get back into the flow of things. It'd been awhile since they'd done it this way and Suzaku was - very good, oh gods - his thrusts well-angled, steady hands running down Lelouch's sides and eventually cupping his ass for a better grip and access, Lelouch letting out a gasping, open-mouthed sob as one thrust favoured him particularly well - and then another, and another. It was good, too good, the pleasure sparking and simultaneously flooding him in warm rushes that fanned out from his center, and Lelouch slid his own hands up Suzaku's arms to his shoulders and hung on to him, their bodies pressing fully against each other's once more, nipples brushing as they moved and Suzaku's mouth swallowing all the small cries Lelouch wasn't able to hold back even as Lelouch's back arched against the wall and as his fingers dug into Suzaku's skin.

And if Lelouch's legs were still a little wobbly afterward, well, at least Yuuhi didn't seem to notice _that_, and it definitely seemed like a small price to pay.

* * *

Yuuhi was a formidable force not to be underestimated in other areas, too. Lelouch glimpsed her over the edge of his papers once, running into the dining room before she started attempting to drag a chair somewhere.

"And just what are you up to, young lady?" He intoned without even looking up from his reading, though he already had a pretty good guess as to the answer. Yuuhi's latest obsession currently had to do with dragons, knights, and dragon-riding, largely due to some of the movies she'd been watching and also the huge, fully illustrated volumes of fairy tales and adventures Suzaku had managed to pilfer and bring back from the royal library, which now made up a great deal of her bed-time stories. At times they'd also made a point of switching all the gendered pronouns around while reading them to her, partly because she was still looking only at pictures at this stage, and also because they hadn't wanted to give her any fixed ideas about what princesses, princes and knights could and couldn't do or be. (The suggestion had actually come from Kallen, no one had seen any harm in it and it had made plenty of sense, so they'd taken her up on it.)

Lelouch hadn't been paying attention to what Suzaku had been saying to her some moments earlier but he suspected her father had been spurring her imagination on again and sure enough, there came her reply in what sounded like a failed attempt to keep her voice hushed and serious despite her excitement. "I'm hunting dragons." She was already brandishing an empty kitchen roll as her sword, eyes shining when Lelouch looked at her. "'M gonna tame one and ride one!"

Lelouch folded the papers and set them aside, smiling and getting up to join her. "Are you now?"

"Yeah." Yuuhi nodded solemnly, before letting her eyes travel upward to where her plastic bib was placed on the high chair. (Ah, so _that_ was what she'd wanted to climb on to the regular chair for.) "But first I need my armuh,"

"Armor," Lelouch corrected gently, taking it down for her and saving her the trouble of clambering up on to the dining room chair to reach for it.

"Armor," she repeated faithfully after him.

"...And what do you need an armor for, little knight?" He smiled, fondness in his chest as he knelt to her level and helped her fasten her make-believe breastplate around her neck.

"For... pro...t- protection!"

Lelouch grinned at how she'd managed to grasp the long word and planted a kiss to her nose. "That's my girl." He stood, already spying Suzaku crawling to hide behind the couch out of the corner of his eye. "So, where would Mr. Dragon be, then?"

Yuuhi wielded her 'sword' and held it ready. "In the dragon's lair," she told him with a whisper, holding a finger to her lips, eyes wide and now fully serious. "Shhh." She crept forth toward the living room. "Somewhere here. I won't kill him. I'm just gonna surprise him."

She made a little show of searching under the chairs and coffee table first, and Lelouch's smile never faded as he watched her quietly, not wanting to interfere. Eventually she approached the couch, climbing on to it with what she probably deemed an appropriate amount of stealth, and stood on the cushions in order to peer over at the other side.

She spotted her target. Lelouch watched her weigh the option of trying to climb over the back of the couch with the kitchen roll in hand against the option of going back down and pouncing on Suzaku from behind instead of above, and within a couple of seconds she was slipping back down to the ground and tiptoeing around the couch before she flung herself at her father with a mini war-cry.

Laughing, Suzaku rolled and grabbed her easily, mock growling as he pinned her to the ground.

Yuuhi squeaked and retaliated fast, giving him a neat _thwack_ on the nose with her weapon.

"Ow," Suzaku pulled back, still laughing and on his fours - which was also when Yuuhi took the chance to roll out from underneath him and clamber up onto his back, yanking on a fistful of brown hair she managed to grab - perhaps a little too hard - and Lelouch bit back laughter as well as a cringe as Suzaku grimaced briefly, "Ow!" He was _still_ laughing despite it all, however, and bucked a little (enough to shake her ride slightly in their play but not throw her off) even as she pulled his hair again and began whacking his head with the kitchen roll.

"Bad dragon! Bad!"

To his credit, Lelouch _was_ trying very hard not to laugh at Suzaku. He still couldn't help chuckling a little, at least until Suzaku finally decided to drop from under his daughter and play dead. Momentarily startled, Yuuhi lowered her sword.

"Oh dear," Lelouch could be a very good actor too, when he wanted to be. He folded his arms, observing his daughter with a pensive smile. "I thought you said you weren't going to kill him."

"I didn't kill him!"

Suzaku continued to lie still.

"Are you _sure_?" Lelouch felt his smile widening. "I don't think he's breathing."

Sudden worry crossed Yuuhi's indignant expression and she scrambled hurriedly off her father's back to squat by his face and peer at it.

Suzaku the Dragon opened one gleaming, green eye and she gasped and stumbled back, although a little too late.

With another playful growl, Suzaku rolled onto his back, hauling her up into the air above him and tossing her a little as she squealed with delight, giggling and then squealing some more as he brought her down and knocked her bib aside with his nose so he could blow a raspberry on her tummy.

"Nofair!" She protested, still giggling as Suzaku blew another raspberry.

Lelouch walked over to kneel down next to them, laughing. "Dragon tamers have to be prepared to go through a lot of trouble like this first, don't they?"

"I'll do it!" Yuuhi declared once Suzaku finally set her down and let her sit on his stomach, then quickly pulled her hands out of the way when he began playfully trying to snap at her fingers with his teeth, half-laughing and grinning himself. "I'm gonna tame _all_ the dragons!"

Chuckling fondly at her words, Lelouch leaned forward to nuzzle her short curls and kiss her cheek. "I'm sure you will." He caught Suzaku's eye and a smile passed between them both. "I'm sure you will."

* * *

But even the bravest warriors still had their weaker moments. When a particularly heavy November thunderstorm short-circuited the house (not that Suzaku had blown up another pie in the oven) and turned off the heating some nights later, the noise and drop in the temperature had soon woken them, but the circuit breaker refused to work unless the sectional switches controlling the electrical flow to some of the bedrooms remained turned off, and Suzaku and Lelouch had soon resigned themselves to the fact that they'd simply have to do without heating for the night and wait till morning to figure out exactly which electrical appliance in the rooms was burnt out and causing the trouble. The temperature, in any case, was still bearable as long as they had each other under the covers and another blanket or two.

Yuuhi, who had only recently been moved to her own room which she now shared with Nunnally whenever Nunnally was visiting, had seemed fine and still asleep when Suzaku had gone to check on her and tuck an extra blanket around her for warmth. But because she was still adjusting to being alone most nights and usually had a little night light near her bed for reassurance (which also couldn't be turned back on for the time being), Lelouch was not too surprised when their room door creaked open some minutes after Suzaku had slipped back next to him under the covers, revealing a tiny figure clutching a blanket as well as the small flashlight Suzaku had left behind in replacement of the night light.

"Mommy," Yuuhi's voice was small when she approached their bed, but still steady with only the barest waver over the sound of the rain. "I think I'm scared."

"Oh, sunshine." Lelouch was particularly tired that night, and all the disturbances to his sleep weren't helping, but he beckoned her over, smiling in the faint light. "It's alright. Come here."

He sat up as she climbed onto their mattress, blanket and all, making space for her to sit in between him and Suzaku and taking her flashlight to place it on the side table, where the tiny spot of light then reflected off the ceiling.

"Hey squirt," Suzaku, now back awake as well, gave a comforting smile from beside him. "Thought you were asleep."

"I was trying," she said quietly, and Lelouch laughed a little, running a hand in soothing motion through her curls of hair.

"It's just a regular thunderstorm, little one. Some of the lights and heating can't come on right now because the lightning has messed with our electricity. It'll all be fine once we figure it out in the morning."

"...We can't fix it now?"

"No, sunshine." Lelouch said patiently. "Well... we _could_, but it would take a long time, and we'll need more flashlights to see what's causing the problem. It'd be better to wait till daytime."

"...Oh," she said, showing some semblance of understanding, though she still appeared a little unsettled, and Lelouch had the good sense to wrap an arm around her when a huge bolt of lightning flashed again outside, pulling her closer in reassurance as the clap of thunder followed. Yuuhi didn't jump, but he did feel her press a little more into his side. Lelouch held her warm and secure against him.

"...Now," he said softly, meeting Suzaku's eyes for a moment and exchanging small, tired smiles. "I want you to imagine something. Imagine you're on a quest, in the wilderness... looking for more dragons. There's a cave nearby, and that's where the dragons probably are - but right now, there's a thunderstorm."

"...What do we do?" Yuuhi had looked up at him by now, following his story with earnest eyes.

Lelouch smiled. "Well, even the bravest, toughest hunters can't do much in a storm like this one. And you know what?" He lowered his voice, grinning as if sharing a secret.

"What?" she whispered, catching on fast.

"I'm sure even the dragons won't dare come out in a storm like this. They might get their wings fried by lightning, after all."

At that she giggled a little and Lelouch gave her nose an affectionate nuzzle.

"The smartest thing to do right now is to find some shelter and rest till the rain stops. You can't start a fire in this weather - so maybe it'll be a little cold. But if you can get some sleep now, it means you'll be ready to start dragon-hunting at first light."

"Really?"

"...Well." Lelouch's eyes travelled over to Suzaku's once again, laughingly this time as the latter pulled a brief and joking _do-I-have-to_ expression, though he was still smiling, too. "If the dragons are up to it, I suppose. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get any rest while you can."

Yuuhi was already ahead of him, wrapping her blanket around herself till only her face peeked out at him. "I've got shelter!"

"Indeed you do." Lelouch's smile warmed further as she began burrowing down under their covers, between them both. "Now, let's get some sleep, shall we?"

"...Okay," she agreed, a little softer this time, twisting around to smile at Suzaku as her father wrapped a warm and comforting arm around her. "G'night, Daddy."

"'Night, squirt. Sleep tight."

"G'night, Mommy."

"Goodnight, love." Lelouch leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, laying down again too as he then reached to switch off Yuuhi's flashlight.

More thunder rumbled in the distance.

"...Mommy?"

"Mmm?"

A mumble. "Can you sing?"

Without opening his eyes Lelouch smiled despite himself, stroking her back soothingly and remembering well how much his voice had ended up calming her in her rare colicky moments as an infant. "Alright."

He sang the words this time, softly but loud enough to be heard above the pouring rain. Yuuhi was fast asleep before he'd even finished, her breathing quiet and even and steady. Suzaku's hand linked silently with his, their fingers interlacing and their hands resting gently and protectively on the tiny mound that was their daughter between them, and by this point there was enough warmth between all three of them that Lelouch felt himself smiling even as he too finally drifted back off to sleep.

When he woke the next morning, it was to the sight of the sun already filtering brightly in through the windows, and Suzaku was busy winding up the cord of the old hairdryer from their bathroom.

"Guess the culprit," Suzaku gave a wry grin when he noticed him awake, then set the faulty appliance aside and came over to kiss him softly on the cheek, smiling. "How's the little trooper?"

"Still asleep," Lelouch smiled at the small child nestled in a mess of blankets next to him, her face half-buried against his chest. Part of him was still reluctant to get up and move away, lest she wake.

Suzaku let out a soft, fond laugh, his voice a murmur. "So much for dragon-hunting at first light."

"Hhm," Lelouch agreed.

But somehow they knew - and there wasn't a doubt in either of them as they gazed lovingly down at their sleeping little one - that when it came down to it, regardless of whatever dragons came her way in life... Yuuhi was going to do just fine.

-END CHAPTER 8-

* * *

_Aaand we are STILL not at the end! Rejoice, heh, because I have one more short segment to come. It should be going up very soon._

_Once again I am SO SORRY for making you wait like that - I do know how long it took! I hope the two other Geass fics I churned out in the meantime helped to make up for it, though ;P _

_**Other things: **__I admit I __might__ have been bullshitting about yukata being convenient/practical post-natal garments, since I have no idea whether or not it's actually advisable to tie sashes around a C-section wound like that. The male version DOES look as though it'd be very useful for Lelouch's case when it comes to the breastfeeding part, though. Also, things generally aren't so neat and clean right after a birth, or so I'm told. There's extra lining to shed and all that, but I figured I'd spare all of us the gory details. I might eventually make a blog post about all these extra tidbits, but probably only if enough people are curious (I'm just so lazy, lol)._

_The lullaby that Lelouch sings is 'Lullaby of M', from the first soundtrack of R2. Or well, that's what I more or less had in mind, but I deliberately left it ambiguous, so feel free to imagine whatever you want._

_Reviews make me happy, as they always do!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks so much for all your reviews! I can't tell you how happy I was when they passed the 200 mark, gosh. You're all lovely for taking the time to send them in and I appreciate every single one of them, THANK YOU! _

_I bring a much shorter chapter this time, because there's not much of this story left to tell, for now. You'll soon see why I'd originally hoped to post this around Christmas. But since I couldn't make it on time for that, we'll have to make do with what we have. All the same, I certainly hope it doesn't disappoint! Enjoy!_

* * *

Nine

This was bad. Lelouch leaned against the counter, massaging a temple with one hand and closing his eyes. The migraine had been going on for almost three days in a row now, gradually becoming serious enough that it had even brought on a bout of nausea earlier in the day.

It was also bad _timing_ because Christmas Eve was approaching in another couple of days, and it so happened that they'd arranged for a small gathering to be over for dinner, mostly so that Yuuhi would have the chance to spend some festive time with more people - the doctors, Jeremiah, Sayoko, Anya, Kallen, Gino - and if this headache kept up like this, Lelouch wasn't sure if he'd have enough energy to get the house, food, and everything else ready on time, just the way he wanted.

There was help to be had in the form of Suzaku and Nunnally, of course, but they were and would be busy handling administrative matters in Tokyo until the day itself, and Lelouch had no intention of bothering them more than necessary (even though the dinner _had_ been Suzaku's idea just as much as his).

—After all, a little more rest was probably all he really needed, at this point.

"Mommy!" Yuuhi practically bounced into the hallway. "Can we go out today? Can we? Please?"

Of course, finding the time to get some extra rest was going to be a bit of a problem. Lelouch knew the weather was a little more favorable that day, and he knew how much Yuuhi loved their little countryside outings and hay-cart rides (whenever C.C. managed to borrow one), so he was reluctant to disappoint her - but somehow the thought of having to bundle her up to shield her from the cold and having to make sure he himself was well covered (especially in terms of his face) seemed like too much effort at the moment, and Lelouch gave her a weak, apologetic smile as his head gave yet another unwelcome throb.

"Maybe not today, little one. Mommy's not feeling too good and needs to rest."

"...Oh." She took it well, though her features clearly fell for a moment and Lelouch could only wish he hadn't had to disappoint, even if she hadn't actually been promised anything. She looked up at him then, eyes becoming large and concerned. "Are you okay?"

Lelouch managed to crouch and ruffle her hair, laughing a little. "I'm sure I'll be fine after some more sleep." He smiled gently. "If I take a nap now, do you think you can keep quiet for me until I wake?"

Yuuhi was nodding solemnly in response when C.C.'s voice floated over, half-amused. "Or I could bring her out for the day and you can go get as much sleep as you want."

...Right. Well, Lelouch never assumed that C.C. would always be ready and willing to help - she was, after all, with him first and foremost as a companion, and there out of choice and for her own amusement, not to serve and be imposed upon - but help _was_ always nice when she offered it.

"That would be... lovely." He managed a grateful smile, and Yuuhi ran over to C.C., hugging one of her legs in delight.

"Thank you C.C.! Thank you! Does it mean we get a cart ride too?"

C.C. reached down to pat her head affectionately. "I'll see what I can do."

"While you're at it -" Lelouch got to his feet, deciding to put in one more request with a small quirk to his lips. "I need you to pick up something from the LeBlancs for me."

C.C. grinned. "Of course."

* * *

Christmas Eve dawned bright and clear, and Suzaku and Nunnally were at the doorstep by late morning with the remainder of the groceries. Lelouch's headaches, fortunately, had also receded almost completely by then, though Suzaku still paused after kissing him in greeting, frowning a little.

"Everything alright? You look a little... tired. It's not just me, is it?"

"It's just you." Lelouch rolled his eyes and smirked.

"No, he's right -" Nunnally interjected, looking at him in concern after she'd neatly arranged her shoes and stepped in. "You _are_ looking a bit paler, brother, just a little..." She trailed off, head tilting inquiringly to the side as a teasing, suggestive smile then appeared. "Or perhaps, could it be that you're..."

Lelouch knew what was on the tip of her tongue and chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm afraid it's just a mere effect of the cold this time." He offered his hand to her as evidence as she slipped her gloves off, letting her feel his fingers. "Here... see?"

"Oh my," she murmured in the affirmative once their skin touched, and Lelouch gave her hand a small squeeze, smiling at Suzaku as well in reassurance.

"Well then," Nunnally smiled back at him, her eyes shining. "We'd better quickly get inside where it's warmer, hadn't we?"

* * *

Kallen and Gino arrived soon afterward, as did Jeremiah, Sayoko and Anya. Suzaku and Sayoko were quick to assist with preparations in the kitchen while Kallen and Gino took charge of setting up a simple Christmas tree in the corner and helping Yuuhi decorate it, including carrying her up so she could place the final star at the top. Before long, the doctors had arrived as well and soon a hearty dinner was underway.

According to Kallen, Gino had lost a bet with her sometime earlier in the week, and so the plan was for him to dress up as Santa to give Yuuhi a little surprise after her bedtime (the two of them were staying the night, in any case), but as things turned out, Yuuhi insisted on staying up to play, even long after the rest of their guests had left. Lelouch and Suzaku relented, seeing as how it was, after all, only a yearly occasion, and knowing that she'd grow sleepy sooner or later anyway.

Sure enough, by eleven - after a few more children's carols and moments of shared laughter as the extended family they'd more or less become - Yuuhi's eyelids had already begun to droop. Kallen yawned as she leaned against Gino, and C.C. finished the last slice of pizza. Nunnally had fallen asleep on the sofa with Arthur in her lap, so Lelouch draped a blanket lightly over them. By eleven-thirty Kallen and Gino were dozing, too, as was Suzaku, seated next to Nunnally on the couch. Yuuhi, still in his arms, was already snuggled into his chest and sound asleep.

At midnight Lelouch woke Suzaku quietly with a kiss to his cheek and pressed the results of the home pregnancy test he'd obtained from Julianna earlier that week gently into Suzaku's palm. Suzaku opened his eyes, blinking in blearied confusion at the item for a couple of seconds before realization dawned on him - and Lelouch watched and chuckled softly as the color began draining a little from his face.

"Merry Christmas, Suzaku."

THE END.

* * *

_More Author's Notes:_

_Not sure if people in the Geass universe would actually make such a big deal out of Christmas, but since there's a fair bit of official art with the characters all sitting around in festive costumes, I figured this set-up could be excused. _

_The new baby that's on the way can... be whatever sex you wish it to be, though of course, if I somehow end up continuing this further, I'd personally choose for it to be a boy (and he'll probably be named after Rolo in some way or another, haha. I might have a bit of a bias toward that poor kid.)_

_Yes, this is finally the end - or at least, the ending I originally had in mind right back when I first started writing this fic. I miiight pick it up again someday, if I have enough new material about Lelouch and Suzaku's family adventures to write and share with you all, but for now, this is it. This is the official end. Anything else that comes after this (if it ever does) will be considered epilogue material. That said, I do of course hope you enjoyed this story! AND I can't thank you all enough for reading and/or reviewing this all the way. This fic originally half started out as a joke and as something purely for fun, but along the way it has also grown to become a very precious project of mine, and so all your support means a whole lot to me, even right now. THANK YOU!_

_In the meantime I have two or three new fic ideas I'm working on at the moment, though I estimate that it will be awhile more before those come to fruition (read: at least 3 - 5 months). If you're eager to keep up with my progress on those, or just what I'm doing in Code Geass fandom in general, you can find me as touchreceptors on twitter, wordpress, and of course tumblr. I'll definitely post about artwork for this, if I manage to draw some things._

_THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH ONCE AGAIN. Do review, too! I always, always do a little happy dance inside whenever one of those shows up in my inbox. Much love to all of you!_


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